When the Norridge School District 80 Board of Education approved the withdrawl of SD 80 from Leyden Area Special Education CoOp upon the recommendation of the SD 80 administration, this initiated a process which is now also being contemplated by Elmwood Park Unit School District 401.

The process should have been relatively simple because in the end SD 80 many years ago voluntarily joined the CoOp and now were choosing to opt out of the program.    But two school districts, Rosemont SD 78 and River Grove SD 85.5 chose to obstruct the inevitable by voting no on the resolution;   this became costly for the taxpayers from a standpoint of involving additional legal work for all as well as forcing a further hearing at West 40 where clearly the inevitable occurred where that Board followed the law and allowed for the withdrawl of SD 80 from the CoOP.

But then the plot thickens as the Superintendents combine moves to punish not just SD 80 but the very special needs children that they are sworn to protect.       Instead of working with SD 80 for an orderly implementation of the withdrawl and allowing currently enrolled special education children at Enger to be grandfather’d in and complete their services with LASEC for a seamless transition to high school, even with an offer  by SD 80 to pay tuition at 110%, the LASEC Superintendents have moved to through all of the students from SD 80 out of the Enger Program.

So in an effort to get justice for the special education students of SD80,  Senator Mulroe has introduced an amendment to Senate Bill 2344 to support having the SD 80 students continue their education at Enger School.  Today, April 24th, there is a public hearing in front of the Senate committee at 4 pm to consider this amendment for the good of the special education students of SD 80.

The families of the students as well as Dr. O’Malley (SD 80 Superintendent) will be appearing in front of the Senate committee in support of the amendment;   but clearly, the LASEC Superintendents are now spear heading the opposition to the amendment and will be appearing in Springfield at 4pm to oppose the amendment.

With 5 short weeks left in the school year, the parents and special education students DO NOT know where our children will be going to school this August, 2018.

Thank you Senator Mulroe for fully supporting the special education students of Norridge School District 80, after they have been abandoned by the Superintendents of the remaining school district members of LASEC in retaliation for the withdrawl of SD 80 from Leyden Area Special Education CoOP (LASEC).

Lets hope that the Illinois State Senators today at 4 pm support the education of special education students of SD 80 and approve the amendment to SB 2344 and give a strong message to the “petty conduct” of the LASEC area superintendents.

Let’s get the petty politics out of the education of special needs children.