Agenda - 06-30-1992 - Laserfiche WebLink

Browse Search

June 8, 1992 Orange County Board of Commissioners My name is Suzanne Todd Meek and I am here to strongly support the entire budget requested by the Chapel Hill - Carrboro Schools. I am the parent of a four and one -half year old son with special needs, and we reside in Chapel Hill. Sloan presently attends the Children's Learning Center and is benefiting greatly from the state and federal commitment to early intervention services. I am very concerned that there is not going to be a place in our school system which will provide for him an appropriate education - - -the education which he deserves. Sloan certainly stands to benefit from some of these positions requested. He is blind and has cerebral palsy, but has made great strides when he has had the opportunity for enough good therapies and close classroom supervision. You have all seen the figures. There has been a 45% increase over the last three years in the exceptional children's population in our schools. My family is part of that 45% growth. We are a rather classic example. Four years ago my husband accepted a position in the the Research Triangle Park. We moved from out -of- state, bought a home in Chapel Hill, fully intend to remain here, and for Sloan to attend the public schools. Some of you may have been listening to National Public Radio this morning. There was a national survey which determined the three top locations for existing companies to relocate their businesses. Guess where the Triangle placed - - -in the top three! It is clearly time to properly deal with and plan for an even more increasing population, and the exeptional children will no doubt be a part of that increase. 0 This requested "expansion budget" funding, as it's called, may be a misnomer. This funding would not be expanding services by any stretch of the imagination. It would be minimally covering this dramatically increased exceptional population -- -those children are already here. Of the seven positions requested, those classes or therapist already have the numbers to be full. It makes me angry that you might even consider not fully funding this program. I am quite cognizant of the budgetary restraints you are under. Nobody wants new taxes. But we all want and need adequate services. In the case of the special needs child, we have no choice but to provide those educational services. You all know that we are mandated by federal and state law to provide an "appropriate" education for every child. These therapies, special classrooms, assistive technologies and other special services are not "luxuries ". We provide them because it, very simply , is the right of each of our children to have a "free and appropriate" education. Thank you. Suzanne Todd Meek 403 Knob Court Chapel Hill, NC 27514 967 -6029