The Middletown Press (Middletown, CT)
Schools officials seek backing for birthto3 program
EAST HAMPTON — The school administration has outlined a proposal to create a birthtothree program for children with special needs.
The program would be funded by a state grant and would feature specially trained personnel who would visit the homes families with special needs children.
The program would involve home visits by both a physical therapist and a speech therapist, Special Education teacher Sue Freeman told the Town Council during its most recent meeting.
The program would serve multiple goals: to offer information and support for parents, while also providing needed service for special needs children.
Beyond that, the program introduces parents to the types of programs East Hampton offers for special needs children, while introducing the students to the school staff who will work with them if the parents decide to continue in the East Hampton system.
When that is the case, “The continuity will be so much better, and the schools will get the know the children in advance of them entering the threeandup programs,” Freeman said.
In addition to supplying the funds to establish the birthtothree program, the state would reimburse parents for the costs of the visits.
The payments, which have with a set rate, will be paid to Medicare or the family’s private insurer, Freeman said.
Freeman estimated as many as 120 children in East Hampton could be covered by the program.
Although specialists would visit the families in their homes, Freeman said the school department hopes to use the current Board of Education offices at 94 Main St., as “a family resource center.”
Although the building was built just after end of the Civil War, the first floor has been substantially overhauled over the intervening years and is fully ADA compliant, Freeman said, referencing the Americans With Disabilities Act.
If 94 Main St. were not available, “We’d be looking at a place to rent,” said Rodney Mosier, the
director of special education and pupil personnel services.
While the state would fund the program, “the state would not pay the rent,” Mosier added.
Paying rent “would impact the viability of the program,” he added.
Mosier assisted Freeman in her presentation. Board of Education Chairman Christopher Goff and Superintendent of Schools Paul K. Smith also attended the meeting.
Freeman said there would be three staff members at the family resource center: a staff director, an office manager; and a fulltime speech therapist.
“The state is encouraging the towns to take this on,” Smith said.
“I’m willing to take it on because I’m not going to have to pay for it,” Smith added.
If the town backs the proposal and the state Department of Education chooses East Hampton, “The more parents from out of town who know about this program, we might be able to get tuition students,” he said.
Not only that, but “This would be advantageous to us, we’ll have Board Of Education employees who are paid by the state,” Smith said.
But the response from the council was less than enthusiastic.
“If people get to know how good our special education programs are, then they will move here, which will impact our budget,” Councilor Mark Philhower said.
If the program were really good, it would act as “a magnet,” Philhower said.
Councilor Chairwoman Melissa H. Engel said one of the major selling points for building the new town hall/police headquarters/ Board of Education building was to consolidate town offices and reduce spending on rent.
“The issue we face is, is this a fiscally responsible move?” she said.
Councilor Kevin Reich, a former assistant superintendent of schools, said, “I
“If people get to know how good our special education programs are, then they will move here, which will impact our budget.” Councilor Mark Philhower
don’t think you need to sell as a quality program.”
“The question is while it might well be the right place, is it the right time? Maybe this is a conversation we should be having next year,” Reich suggested.
“We don’t know how the public is going to take to this,” he said, adding that the vote to build the $18.9 million town hall “barely got by with a selected number of votes.”
Unfortunately, the grants “only come every five to eight years,” and the deadline for submitting the request for funding is December,” Freeman said.
“Ideally, if there was office space at Memorial School…,” Councilor Pete Brown said.
But both Smith and Freeman said there is not.
The council did not make a decision one way or the other.
School officials appeared caught off guard by the council’s reaction to the proposal.
In an email Monday, Smith said, “I was disappointed because while I realize that they [the council] did not want it to appear that 94 Main would still be needed with the building of the new town hall, this is a brand new program that benefits the town.
“It’s an excellent use of 94 Main as it does not require any renovation or special work,” he said. “A program like this will exist somewhere and for our town residents, it would be so convenient to have it right in our own community.”