Massachusetts school district puts school for students with autism on hold

From The Boston Globe:

The Beverly School Committee has delayed a decision on whether to approve a proposed school for children with autism, as district officials and the school’s organizers try to resolve concerns raised by School Superintendent Jim Hayes.

Futures Behavior Therapy Center, which operates a kindergarten and preschool program for autistic children in leased space at the Cummings Center office park, is proposing to open a preschool through Grade 12 school at that location this fall, according to Hayes.

In a June 12 memo, Hayes recommended the committee deny the request, saying he was not satisfied Futures had met the city’s criteria for approval. He cited “serious concerns’’ with how it met the criteria for population served, physical plant and safety, and administration

In a subsequent memo he read aloud at the committee’s June 17 meeting, Hayes reiterated those concerns. But on his recommendation, the committee tabled action on the proposal to allow his office and Futures representatives to meet and try to resolve their differences.

Proposals for private schools above the kindergarten level must be approved by the school committee in the host community and the state’s Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.

“We all want to find a good program for our special needs kids,’’ said School Committee chairwoman Annemarie Cesa, a reading tutor who has taught students with a wide range of special needs. “We are not saying this program isn’t going to be up and running in the future. But it’s our responsibility to make sure the program they are providing is appropriate.’’

Jill Larsen, executive director of Futures, could not be reached for comment.

Henry W. Clark, an attorney who represents Futures, said: “We are negotiating with Beverly to resolve our differences. We have a meeting set up in a couple of weeks and we are going to go that route.

“We gave them our word we would work constructively,’’ he said, adding that it would be inappropriate for him to comment further when “hopefully, we’ll be able to resolve this.’’

If approved, the school would be the fourth private school in Beverly to serve special education students. Under state law, school districts must pay tuition to private schools for students from their communities who attend those schools.

In his June 17 memo, Hayes said he was concerned that the criteria for admissions that Futures had provided for the proposed new school “is not clearly articulated.

“Since the initial application for approval, there have been conflicting messages between serving the most severe levels of autism . . . versus serving less severe levels of autism typically found in integrated programs,’’ referring to those in which autistic students are mixed with typical students. “This conflict is still unclear.’’

He also noted that Futures’ plan called for starting with prekindergarten to kindergarten students and then adding enrollments in subsequent grade levels only as those students advance to those higher grades. He said he could not support approving grade levels “for which there will not be students for a good many years.’’

Hayes said he was concerned that “the site and the plant do not adequately support the program nor ensure the safety and health of the students.’’

He also said he is concerned that the executive director may not have the administrative expertise necessary to lead the school.

The concerns he cited “raise serious questions about the ability of the school to provide a program that at least equals in thoroughness, efficiency, and student progress that of our own school system,’’ Hayes wrote in the memo.