[Missouri-l] A proposed solution for making schools for the blind financially feasible

[Denny Huff]

-----Original Message-----
From: Ronald E. Milliman [mailto:rmilliman at insightbb.com] 
Sent: Friday, July 31, 2009 10:33 AM
To: leadership at acb.org
Subject: [leadership] A proposed solution for making schools for the blind
financially feasible

Colleagues, before you attack this idea, I am asking that you open your
minds up, read it, think about it, and then, let's explore it to see if it
is possible and has merit.

Just as many university students elect to go out of their home state to
attend a university in another state, for a myriad of reasons, e.g. to
obtain a quality education in some specialized area not available in their
state of residence, blind students in the K - 12 grades could do the same.
By creating regional schools for the blind, it would allow them to operate
much more efficiently with higher enrollments, and the cost could be shared
by several states, rather than shouldered by only one state.  In addition,
transportation to and from the student's home on the weekends and vacations
could be provided, i.e. paid for, by each student's home state, which would
still be much less costly than having a school for the blind in every state.
In addition, those students who were able to integrate into a regular public
school environment could attend the regional school for the blind part of
the time to get the special courses and training they could not get in the
public school, and then, they could attend the public school the other
portion of time, which would allow them to take subjects not available in
the school for the blind.  Also, by attending the public school part time,
they would learn to integrate and interact with their sighted peers, attend
special events, e.g. sporting events, dances, etc.  

While this approach might not be the most ideal in some respects, it
eliminates the main objection for maintaining a school for the blind in each
state; that is, the exorbitant high cost per student.  Admittedly, the cost
sharing mechanics would have to be worked out, but I feel certain it could
be accomplished, and it could even be a split between the states comprising
the defined region and the Federal Government, since it involves an
interstate situation. 

Ron M.
Graduate of the Michigan School for the Blind, which has been shut down




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