The Moline School District is cutting ties with the Black Hawk Area Special Education Center, leaving 43 families in Moline wondering... what happens next?
Last night, the Moline School Board voted to withdraw from the Center starting in 2014. The Board decided it was a way to save the District close to $1 million every year. News 8 spoke with Moline Superintendent Dr. David Moyer, who says more districts in Illinois are doing the same thing - withdrawing from co-ops like the Black Hawk Area Special Education District and educating students in their own district.
"We're not compromising the services the students are going to be receiving," says Dr. Moyer. "We're just going to be able to provide those in a way in which is more efficient and at a time when we're facing such stress on our budget, we really felt like we had no choice but to make that move."
The $1 million cut is part of a $3 million deficit that the Moline School District faces, so Dr. Moyer says there's going to be more losses. However, News 8's Angie Sharp sat down with a family who says the "cost" of this loss is about more than just money. Click on the video link above to hear Lynn and her daughter Rachel Passini's story.
Withdrawing from the Black Hawk Area Special Education District will also impact the people who work there. Dr. Moyer says he is not sure how many positions will be affected, but he says the Moline School District will not require as much staff for the services they're going to start providing to the 43 students.