Frustration mounts over future of Elk Grove school for children with disabilities
ELK GROVE — There is growing frustration over the future of Jessie Baker School in Elk Grove after the district said it is seeing a shift in the ages of students attending the school.
Some parents and staff members are concerned fewer and fewer elementary children are no longer being admitted and that the school may eventually become an all-adult school.
For 60 years, Jessie Baker School has created an inclusive community for children with moderate and severe disabilities. It was the first public school for children with severe disabilities in California.
Elk Grove Unified clarified that Jessie Baker School is not closing down and that none of its existing students will be moved, but its demographic is shifting to older students.
"We all came to Baker knowing that our kids needed to be included with other kids and that wasn't happening on those other campuses. They were an afterthought," said Rachel Alves, whose daughter attends Jessie Baker School.
Elk Grove Unified sent a letter to parents stating that under federal law—the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act—school districts are mandated to educate students in the least restrictive environments.
That is why the district said it has been making progress in improving its services on its general education campuses and placing more special education students in their neighborhood schools.
"We were told different things like A, it wasn't a good fit or B, he's on a different level," said Karen Holt, who said it was a struggle to get her eight-year-old son, James, enrolled at Jessie Baker School.
Alves also said it was a challenge and after having her daughter on a general education campus, she can see the difference in the amount of support she receives at Jessie Baker.
"We've been in an Elk Grove District program with inclusion time and that's the first thing to get cut when paras are out sick or there's low numbers that day," she said.
Elk Grove Unified said its placement specialists are still referring younger students to Jessie Baker, but according to the district's 10-year Master Plan, the school is listed as only serving grades 9 through 12.
"I feel like all our students here are so, so, so loved," Jessie Baker School paraeducator Ashari Randolph said.
Randolph said she and many other staff members are disheartened about the change. They created shirts that read: "Inclusion Is a Promise We Keep."
"This is really a school and opportunity where kids need to have a chance to come in and get all the help and resources they need and deserve," Randolph said.
Elk Grove Unified said Jessie Baker School will be getting $2 million to upgrade classrooms and the pool deck, so the school is not going anywhere.
Frustrated staff and parents planned to speak out at Tuesday night's school board meeting. They also created a petition demanding transparency from the district for what comes next.
