Special ed relocation proposal spurs alarm

The decision Wednesday, Feb. 27, arrived as members of the program community shared concerns that a proposed move from the Sequoia High School campus to East Palo Alto would pose problems for students.

For her part, board President Georgia Jack expressed confidence more collaboration would lead to a solution that would address the accessibility concerns as well as facility issues faced by district officials.

“It’s a tricky puzzle. I have hope that when people have more conversations and hash out some of the details they will come up with some acceptable recommendations,” she said. “The staff, community and board agreed there will not be one perfect, shining solution. But we can get some recommendations that get us to a good place. But it will require everyone participating in the conversation.”

Linda Waissar, a Portola Valley resident with a daughter in the program, said she was pleased to hear officials would be willing to further discuss the issue before making a decision.

“I think we as parents recognize that the district has a tough choice, but also as parents we do not want to see services to our children disrupted or go down in quality,” she said.

District officials had recommended the Transition Resources for Adult Community Education move from a modular classroom on the Sequoia High School campus to a facility on Green Street in East Palo Alto.

Those suggesting the move claimed the current site is inadequate to accommodate the current 43 students with expected growth in coming years, and that the East Palo Alto site was better suited to serve the program, said Jack.

“When we look at our upcoming population, there is a growth potential and we want to make sure that we can accommodate that and we just can’t in these particular facilities,” she said.

Members of the program community though claimed its current placement on the Redwood City campus is ideal, noting its adjacency to Sequoia Station which accommodates bus and train service with proximity to El Camino Real.

Students rely heavily on access to public transportation as part of their program which focuses on building independence and job skills, said Waissar, who also noted Redwood City offers a wealth of job and community service opportunities nearby.

The East Palo Alto site, meanwhile, does not offer easy access to a bus or train stop, and the work opportunities for those enrolled in the program are not as readily available, she said.

“There is a bit of concern about whether they would get the same quality of jobs and internships,” Waissar said.

As a result, Jack said more discussion is in order to see if there is a compromise available which can address the concerns raised by both parties.

District officials said adding capacity for the program at the Sequoia High School campus is challenging because more portables would be needed, requiring a variety of infrastructure improvements to build on already limited space.

Another opportunity to move the program to San Carlos would prove difficult because the district site features significant shortcomings and could require bond financing to bring it up to code. The East Palo Alto site meanwhile is already designed to accommodate students with special needs, and could offer the capacity to grow, according to a district report.

For her part, Waissar said the program has offered great benefits to her daughter in helping her build her skills and confidence with hope for a bright future.

“It’s a big deal,” Waissar said. “It’s a sense that one day she can live somewhat independent and be a contributing member of society.”

Recognizing the value of the program, Jack said she is hopeful a resolution can be identified shortly. No timeline has been established for the issue to return for further discussion, said Jack, as officials do not want to rush a decision.

“As long as we can keep the integrity of the program, that is really what I want,” said Jack. “And if we can do that at another location, that’s even better. And if we have some creative ways to figure it out, that would also be fine.”

austin@smdailyjournal.com

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