Parents, teachers plead with DPS to intervene on SED program dissolving

DECATUR, Ill. (WAND) - Decatur parents and teachers are pleading with the school board to try and reverse a plan to shut down a special education program - a decision made by the Macon-Piatt Special Education District.

More than a dozen parents of students in the special education program and their teachers came before the DPS 61 board to ask them to intervene with the Macon-Piatt Special Education District. The district is planning to close part of the special education program that is housed in Decatur schools.

"Programs like this do not work for SED children, they require special care," James Lord, an SED parent said, at the board meeting Monday night.

Special education parents are worried their children will lose the progress they've made in the special ed program if they are lumped into the Social Emotional Alternative Program, also known as SEAP.

"He got the help that he needed. His whole entire behavior turned into a 180 and he started working with the teachers. At first he was academically hindered and then he academically flourished using this program," James Olsen, another SED parent, explained.

The special education, or SED program, teaches students K through 6th grade with learning and behavioral disabilities.

"They deserve a chance to flourish. They deserve a chance to have the best possibility of education," Christina Bartley, an SED parent, said.

But now, the Macon-Piatt Special Education District is moving to dissolve the SED program and instead place special education students in the SEAP program, which serves as a high security alternative classroom for kids who struggle with violent outbursts.

"My son has an emotional disability in his IEP. I feel it is neglectful to say 'we are shutting down this program, he can here or here, good luck.' You aren't giving us viable options for our children. Our children have rights and they deserve an education in the setting that is most conducive to that," Danielle Sarver, an SED parent, added.

Teachers said they've seen significant growth among many students and believe the SEAP program can't offer the same academic support.

"They enjoy reading, they can do division now and have become more confident in their academics and in themselves," SED Teaching Assistant Julie Bolt explained.

Parents said they simply want their children to succeed.

"She likes school, don't take it away from her," Barbara McCullough, an SED grandparent, shared.

The Macon-Piatt Special Education District is made up of 12 school districts and serves about 1,300 students. So it would likely take action from more than just the Decatur school district to reverse this decision.

DPS 61 board members said they hope to have further discussion on this topic during their next board meeting as the item was not on the agenda Monday night.

WAND News will continue following this developing story.