BY ANDREA TORTORA
The Cincinnati Enquirer
An alternative education program for children with severe emotional and behavioral disorders should be open Sept. 1, educators said this week.
The cooperative program would serve at least 10 of Northern Kentucky's public school districts by helping small and large school districts serve at least 30 students in elementary through high school.
"We're trying to do something in a positive and constructive manner," Southgate Schools Superintendent Bernard Sandfoss said. "But it takes time to get all of the components together."
The new school will target students with "low-incident" handicaps -- conditions not very prevalent in the overall population. These students might have emotional disruptions that interfere with learning in a normal setting; they may need more one-on-one attention; and they may require unique environments for learning. The region's school superintendents, through the Northern Kentucky Cooperative for Educational Services, plan to lease space at Cold Spring Elementary and within the Fort Thomas School district to house the program.
Interviews are now under way for a program director. The cooperative will also hire five faculty and five staff members to serve students in the alternative educational program.
Several committees are outlining curriculum, mental health and admissions criteria.
Costs for the program could total $15,000 for each student who attends, but educators said the costs are worth the expected outcomes.
Included in that cost is $9,000 a year to lease three classrooms in Cold Spring and at least $7,500 for computers and classroom materials. Middle and high school students would attend at Cold Spring and elementary students would attend in Fort Thomas.
Larry Stinson, Fort Thomas Schools superintendent and chairman of the alternative program's personnel committee, said there were two director candidates. He is also urging districts to participate in the program.
The Bellevue, Campbell County, Erlanger-Elsmere, Fort Thomas, Kenton County, Ludlow, Newport, Silver Grove, Southgate and Walton-Verona school districts already agreed to participate.
Some larger districts, such as Kenton County Schools, already offer some of the services the alternative school will provide. But Superintendent Neil Stiegelmeyer said cooperating with all districts will be more efficient.
The state Education Department is encouraging similar programs in other parts of the state, and the National Association of State Directors of Special Education also favors cooperation among districts to give students the best service.
Each student's case and education will be handled individually. Some students attend school in regular classrooms; others don't. Students could be in the new program for a few months or a few years, depending on their progress and situation.
