Schools

District 308 Votes to Leave Special-Ed Co-Op

District 308 officials say growth and size of the district change its needs.

The Community Unit School District 308 Board of Education approved a resolution at its Monday night meeting requesting departure from the Kendall County Special Education Cooperative.

“I believe this decision would be in the best interest of student achievement in School District 308,” Superintendent of Schools Dr. Matthew Wendt said in a statement.

Citing enrollment growth over the past 10 years, which has vaulted the district into being the eighth largest in the state, Wendt explained to the board the district’s special education needs differ from those of other Kendall County school districts.

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Students with a range of special needs, from the disabled to those who need coaching in life skills to those who need therapy, are served by the co-op.

Withdrawal from the cooperative would allow School District 308 to better adjust and allocate resources to meet the needs of its special education students, according to a statement released Tuesday by the district. Member districts of the cooperative will need to vote on whether to allow the departure of School District 308.

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The departure would take effect for the 2015-16 school year unless a different timeline was approved.

The member districts include Oswego District 308, Yorkville District 115, Plano District 88, Newark Elementary District 66, Newark High School District 18 and Lisbon Elementary District 90.

The co-op served 1,346 Kendall County students, and 868 of those students are from District 308, according to the Aurora Beacon News.

In February, an auditor hired by District 308 recommended that the district leave the co-op and control its own instruction for special-needs children.

Newark District 66 also has voted to leave the co-op or end it, according to the Beacon News.

District 308 had to vote on the matter prior to July 1 in order to leave after the next school year. District officials still could change their minds and remain part of the co-op.



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