School Board votes to send Edgewood students to Greenwood Middle

Students in sixth through eighth grade at Edgewood Community Developmental School will be moving to a wing in Greenwood Middle School over the next two years, with the first group set to change classrooms this fall.

The move was first discussed at Monday’s meeting of the Wayne County Board of Education, and was approved unanimously by the board moments later.

Before the vote, and the formal discussion of the proposal presented by Dr. Marcia Manning, assistant superintendent for student services and innovative programs, parents from the Edgewood community spoke to the board about their concerns for their children and asked board members to consider its decision, which several said they were not aware was this close to a vote, carefully.

One parent, who brought along her wheelchair-bound son, pointed out that change is a significant obstacle for students facing profound developmental delays or severe challenges.

All the parents who spoke asked the board to think about the children and to put their needs first.

“This should be about the children,” one of them said, adding that Edgewood has been an extremely positive experience for her student.

The gist of the message is that the parents did not know details about the planned move — or how their children would be accommodated in the new facility.

They said they felt the vote and the proposal were being rushed and not explained properly to those who would be affected.

Manning said that the decision to make the move was similar to one made concerning elementary age students, who were moved from Edgewood to a wing at Meadow Lane Elementary two years ago.

She said the area designated for the students at Greenwood has a separate entrance and a dedicated bathroom that would be modified to meet the specific needs of the students, with a changing area as well as a lift and other equipment they would need.

She and Sonja Emerson, executive director of the exceptional children program, also emphasized that the wing could be made ADA compliant easily — or already was, a requirement if the county was going to continue receiving grant money to fund the community development school programs for Edgewood students.

Right now, that grant funding is more than $450,000, Emerson said.

Emerson and Manning said seventh-graders (who will be in eighth grade when the change takes effect next fall) will not be asked to make the move to Greenwood Middle since the change might be too stressful for them.

Other students will begin moving to Greenwood in August.

The move also will allow students to get some interaction with “typically-abled students” at Greenwood, Manning said.

By 2022, sixth-, seventh- and eighth-graders will all be at Greenwood.

Right now, there are 62 students enrolled at Edgewood. — 16 middle school and 46 high school students.

Eight Edgewood families will be affected by the move.

Edgewood principal Kevin Smith said he has spoken to the families involved, although it was not clear when those conversations took place.

Smith told the board that he was at the meeting “as my students’ ambassador” and would be setting a course that incorporates what is in their best interest as they move forward to age 22 and transitioning to their post-school life.

He said that the way Edgewood has educated its students in the past “has to change” and to evolve with the times.

Board member Jennifer Strickland said that what concerned her was the quick turn-around of the decision.

She said she first heard about the intention at a January meeting of the facilities committee, adding that she doubted the discussion began then.

“As soon as it began (to be discussed as an option), it should have been shared with the parents,” she said. “They shouldn’t (have had to) be here asking these questions.”

Emerson said the discussion about the proposal began in November and that its progress was slowed by the district’s need to deal with COVID-19.

Board members also mentioned the continued need to cover expenses associated with exceptional children’s education, which is only funded to a certain percentage by the state.

Covering those extra expenses has to come from local dollars — also not plentiful and unlimited, they added.

Emerson said the plan is to move Edgewood teachers to Greenwood Middle with their students, adding that there will be some challenges to making sure the classes are covered.

Smith said he and Edgewood staff are already working to make the transition work and to provide the support for parents and students.