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August 23, 2011

Cooperatives provide key resources to rural schools

Consortiums help defray costs for programs for special needs students in the area.

By TEDDYE SNELL Staff Writer

TAHLEQUAH — Considering the massive budget cuts Oklahoma school districts are facing, one way schools protect services is by joining forces.

In Cherokee County, students with special needs don’t have to travel to the bigger independent schools to receive special education, as two cooperatives – the Cherokee County Cooperative and the Cherokee County Interlocal Cooperative – provide services to many of the dependent districts.

The Cherokee County Cooperative serves Lowrey, Norwood, Peggs and Shady Grove Schools; the Cherokee County Interlocal Cooperative serves Briggs, Grand View, Keys and Tenkiller.

Schools involved in the cooperatives save resources by sharing the cost of salaries for special education teachers. The programs are designed to serve individuals with speech-language impairments, visual impairments, hearing impairments, cognitive impairments, emotional disturbances, learning disabilities, autism, traumatic brain injuries, physical handicaps or other health impairments, and are made available for people from birth through age 21, at no cost to parents.

Sheryl Ridenhour, who heads up the Cherokee County Interlocal Cooperative, did not return calls from the Press on Monday.

Diana Garnatz, superintendent at Norwood School, said being part of the cooperative is extremely helpful.

“Our cooperative helps defray the cost of educating special needs students, spreading it out over four districts, including Lowrey, Peggs and Shady Grove,” said Garnatz. “Right now, our program serves 41 students. We share a pyschometrist, who comes to the school and works with parents and faculty to set up Individualized Education Plans for each qualifying student.”

Referrals to the program can come from either parents or teachers. Garnatz said at Norwood, students are then tested and the psychometrist sets up IEPs.

Norwood used to rely on the cooperative to supply paraprofessionals for the classrooms, but they have since hired their own.

“We meet monthly or so, to discuss strategies for how best to use the resources we have,” said Garnatz. “As a matter of fact, we have a meeting tomorrow evening. I know the system works really well for us. It also provide other people we can to turn if we have questions. Four heads are better than one.”

Dr. John Cox, superintendent at Peggs, agrees with Garnatz, and appreciates the collaboration.

“The cooperative is a support system for our four member schools,” said Cox. “It allows our administrators to collaborate on the specific needs of our special needs students and help find resources to meet these needs. It offers occupational and physical therapy services, speech therapy consultants and training and professional development for our paraprofessionals.”

At Lowrey, the Cherokee County Cooperative serves approximately 30 students. Superintendent Bryan Hix said they’ve reviewed other ways to provide services, but the cooperative works best.

“Like Norwood, we have our own paraprofessionals, but we split the expense and time of a speech pathologist,” said Hix.

“We could have gone a different, less expensive way by using interns, but ultimately the professionals provided through the cooperative is the best way to serve our children.”

 

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