By Ricardo Cano, The Fresno Bee
Originally posted by The Fresno Bee, June 19, 2015
“Now in its third year, [Strategically Helpful Intervention Nurturing Educational Services] has been hailed as a success by [Firebaugh-Las Deltas Unified School District] because it allows the eight participating students to get the specialized educational program they need close to home.
Yet for many high-need special education students from rural areas, getting the services they need can be a challenge — and often can require a long ride from home.
Unlike the Valley’s larger urban districts, small rural districts often don’t have the money — or enough students, or even teachers — to float their own programs. So they rely on the Fresno County Office of Education to hire teachers and organize classroom programs for those students. The downside: It can entail an hour-long bus ride to get to the program. That can be a deal-killer for some parents.
These faraway districts are used to having to stretch their dollars and often look for creative ways to serve as many of their special education students within the district. Sometimes it means creating a new program altogether like Firebaugh-Las Deltas…”
Read the full story.