The North Carolina School for the Deaf in Morganton is perhaps off the chopping block for now, but empty and under-utilized rooms may see changes in the coming year.
State Superintendent June Atkinson announced Monday afternoon N.C. Department of Public Instruction’s recommendations to the state General Assembly regarding residential schools. Atkinson will present the report on Dec. 1 to the State Board of Education
“Based on all of this information, I see many opportunities for North Carolina to capitalize on what these three schools offer and to better utilize the facilities that are available on each campus by continuing to serve students and also to improve the educational opportunities these students need,” Atkinson said.
The department proposes consolidating the administrative services at Governor Morehead School for the Blind in Raleigh and Eastern N.C. School for the Deaf in Wilson. The Governor Morehead School would serve as a satellite campus of ENCSD, and students would continue to attend classes at the school.
Atkinson said the department hopes to lease a large percentage of Governor Morehead School to another educational entity for cost savings.
And both schools in Morganton and Wilson should also seek other educational uses for empty or under-utilized rooms, Atkinson said.
The recommendations are a “win-win” for the students, Atkinson said, because making the schools multi-purpose could lead to expanded opportunities for the students, too.
Assuming an educational entity leases the school in Raleigh, about $5.5 million will be saved, Atkinson said.
She repeatedly emphasized DPI’s commitment to putting students first in the process.
The N.C. General Assembly directed the department to close one campus and consolidate services at the remaining two schools in Session Law 2011-7.25(a). N.C. DPI must report the recommendations to the Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee by Jan. 15.
The directive from the legislature included five considerations: minimizing the impact on services to deaf and blind students, minimization of costs of modifications at the two remaining residential schools, maximization of funds generated or net savings to the state, minimization of required travel for students of the school that is closed and historical and cultural significance of the school.
DPI took over operations of the three residential schools on June 1. They were previously under the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services.
Though not legally required to, DPI formed a core committee of 12 members to gather information and input from the public. The committee hosted three public hearings in September and issued a survey.
Atkinson said about 1,700 people attended the public hearings and 1,000 submitted a response to the survey.
“What we did as a department was to go at answering these five questions as fairly and as equitably and as transparently as we could,” Atkinson said. “And we reached the conclusions that you see — that you will see or may see on the report — based on the data we reviewed, the information we had.”
The recommendations must still go before the General Assembly before they are implemented.
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