District 64- wants to segregate 5th grade special needs kids

Having students with special needs separated from their peers is worst thing you can do to someone, every student wants to be with their peers and like them as well. The sooner these students make friends with their peers the better and separating them while may be easier for "the system" would not be better or easier for the child and that's what we should be focused on.

This is ridiculous. My brother, who grew up in park ridge, did not move here bc of our districts special needs program. He has a little boy with special needs and knew that our district would not provide the best environment for him and now this. Why would our district want to be known to do this kind of thing to children with special needs?

There is absolutely no benefit to having these students at the middle school level. That would mean that they are a 100% in Special education because there would be no integration with same age peers. In all of my years in Special Education every student, no matter their ability level, benefits from spending at least some time of integration with their regular ed peers. This is a two- way street where both sides learn from each other and greatly benefits the social- emotional development of all. Who thought this was an educationally sound proposal? It certainly does not benefit the whole child.

Please keep these students with their peers!

Unless this is a vastly different system than California, decisions on individual placement should be made by the student's IEP team (including parents), not a blanket decision at the district level. Please reconsider this unless their input has been sought out and received.

This is so wrong, reasoning behind this must be space and financial. Our kids are not the solution to the district issue

Inclusion is very important and necessary for any special need child. They should not be separated!

This is a horrible idea

I am disgusted with the thought of this and surprised that anyone from the district would even consider doing this to the students.

I have a child with some LD. He is overworked as it is, why would placing him in a different school with older children be beneficial.

Segregating the special needs 5th graders from their 5th grade home school peers is not beneficial, developmentally or socially.

What happened to the least restrictive environment On a per child basis?

Decisions like these should be made on an individual basis in the IEP process, not a blanket decision for all.

This makes no sense from a developmental or educational standpoint.

Please treat all children alike. Regardless of special needs, color, or religion.

This seems counter to the law, per IDEA (specifically LRE).

I also wrote a letter to the board about this as well.

As a past employee of District 64 this concept is only going in reverse what the districts push was about 5 years ago. Doesn’t the District and families want their students educated in their home schools with their non disabled peers? Segregating a small group of students is not the answer. Keep them in their home elementary schools wth their non disabled peers!!

I think this is a terrible decision and I know my twins would be upset to see a classmate be separated from them. And it would be detrimental for those students who are removed from their peers.

I remember being in 5th grade and being intimidated by the idea of going to middle school. No child should be forced to transition before they are ready. The district should engage the impacted families before making unilateral decisions like this.