New London talks elementary special education for upcoming school year

BY BRYCE KELLY

Mt. Pleasant News

NEW LONDON ? As the current school year comes to a close, the New London School Board has begun taking a closer look at the 2016-2017 school year, and has found the need for a new staff position at Clark Elementary.

Due to students with special needs coming into the district?s elementary school next year and in years to come, Clark Elementary principal, Todd Palmatier, and Superintendent Steve McAllister both voiced the need for a primary special education teacher at Clark Elementary who specializes in autism.

?The simple fact is that we know we have at least one student coming next year, and more in the next few years, who are on the autism spectrum, and we want to provide the proper services for those kids,? said McAllister.

According to AEA personnel who presented a short presentation on autism during Monday night?s school board meeting, the educational needs of a primary student with autism vary greatly based on where each student falls on the autism spectrum. Far and wide, however, experts say autism students tend to need specialized teaching instruction in the areas of communication and social skills learning, while also being taught in a more structured, routine environment.

?As we heard from AEA specialists, about one in every 63 American kids currently in elementary school fall somewhere on the autism spectrum, so the need for us to have a program for these kids is not unique to us,? said Palmatier. ?The way I see it, these kids are New London Tigers. We have a responsibility to provide them with the best education possible, and we have a great staff and great partners at AEA who want to do that, too.?

As discussed during the meeting, the overall goals of a primary special education program would be to provide an appropriate home base classroom for primary special education students with the proper staff, and to continue the school?s partnership with special education specialists at the AEA.

?So, we will be looking for a primary special education teacher with a specialty in autism, as well as associates as needed,? said McAllister. ?Supplies, equipment and those sorts of things we would need is also something we are still researching.?

Board member Jesse Howard also suggested the district begin looking at applying for grants which may help pay for any supplies or educational materials needed for primary special education.

In addition to hiring a primary special education teacher for the elementary school, the district will also be searching for a new special education teacher in the high school for next year, as the district?s current teacher, Miriah Huntington, has resigned.

?Miriah has been wonderful and she will be missed,? said McAllister. ?She has a lot of knowledge about this area of education and has served New London well.?

In addition to approving Huntington?s resignation, the board also approved the appointments of Alaina Nelson, TLC Funded Lead Mentor; Allison Lair, TLC Funded Curriculum Director; Deborah Scott and Carrie Applegate, TLC Funded Instructional Coaches; and Shane Barron, Ben Bence, Paula Bliven, Tina Garrett, Joe Garvey, Tori Kenel, Kari McAllister, and Heather Sharp as TLC Funded PLC Leaders.

The board also approved the appointments of Jennifer Campbell, Tori Kenel, Alaina Nelson, Luann Martin and Tina Garrett as TLC Funded Mentor Teachers; and Tori Kenel, Heather Sharp, Jennifer Campbell, Sara Miller and Jodie Coleman as TLC Funded Model Teachers.

During the meeting?s public forum, the board did hear from Jerry Wilhelm and Don Darbyshire. Both men are bus drivers for the district, and each voiced their concerns regarding bus cleanliness and what they said was a lack of sufficient space at New London?s bus barn to wash the outsides of the buses regularly. While both men acknowledged that springtime poses a challenge to keep buses clean, especially those buses that travel heavily on gravel roads, they both stated transportation staff is doing well in keeping buses clean with what workspace they have to do so.

The issue of bus cleanliness was the topic of discussion in two previous board meetings this year, however no official action has been taken at this time regarding that particular issue.

In other board business, the board:

? Reviewed a letter received from the U.S. Department of Education and the U.S. Department of Justice regarding civil rights protections of transgender students. According to McAllister, should the school ever receive concerns from a transgender student or their parent(s) regarding possible discrimination due to their gender identity, the school will take any actions necessary and appropriate to ensure the student, as well as the student body as a whole, are being safely and legally accommodated and cared for.

? Reviewed the district?s automotive, property and liability insurance policies.

? Approved Anderson Erickson as the school?s provider of dairy products for the 2016-2017 school year.

? Approved a financial agreement with PiperJaffary for the sale of bonds.

? Approved the S.V.P.A. architect contract for upcoming work projects approved in the 2016 General Obligation Bond Referendum.

The school board will meet again in regular session on Monday, June 20, at 7 p.m., in the district?s Board Room.