Testimony
Before the NJ Legislature,
Joint Committee
on the Public Schools
Presented
by Regina Swierc,
Superintendent,
Warren County
Special Services
School District
October 2, 2003
Good afternoon.
I am Regina Swierc,
Superintendent
of the Warren
County Special
Services School
District. I am
also the chairperson
of the Joint Council
of County Special
Services School
Districts, the
association that
represents all
of the special
services school
districts in the
state. This is
the first time
I have testified
before the State
Legislature. I
appreciate this
opportunity tell
you a bit about
New Jersey’s
eight county-based
special services
school districts
and how we are
responding to
the challenges
facing special
education.
The special services
school districts
located in Atlantic,
Bergen, Burlington,
Cape May, Gloucester,
Mercer, Salem
and Warren counties
provide a wide
range of educational
services for students
with disabilities.
Together we provide
full-time placements
for about 4,500
of the state’s
most severely
disabled students.
In addition, our
schools offer
cost-effective
regional services
for other public
school districts.
Our students
represent the
extreme end of
the special education
spectrum, and
they account for
less than one-half
of one percent
of the statewide
public school
enrollment. They
have multiple
disabilities,
autism, behavioral
disorders, and
severe cognitive
and physical impairments.
For example, many
of our students
need wheelchairs
and other devices
to get around,
and they have
a difficult combination
of serious medical
problems and mental
handicaps that
render them unable
to communicate
verbally or meet
their own feeding
and toileting
needs. Many also
have extreme emotional
disorders, which
make them volatile
and often violent
in the classroom.
In addition to
customized educational
programs and individualized
instruction, these
students often
require extensive
therapy and medical
services as part
of their school
day. Generally,
their disabilities
are what we call
"low-incidence,"
which means that
is difficult and
very expensive
for individual
districts to provide
these highly specialized
programs and services
for one or two
students.
However, because
of their regional
focus, our districts
can provide top-quality
public school
services to these
students with
severe disabilities,
who range in age
from preschool
to adulthood.
We employ specialized
teachers, classroom
aides, personal
assistants, physical
and occupational
therapists, and
support staff
to meet their
academic, physical,
emotional and
social needs.
Our programs incorporate
many types of
assistive technology
(examples), and
often include
a vocational training
component.
Our goal is to
serve students
with severe disabilities
in the "least
restrictive environment,"
while addressing
the wide range
of needs identified
in the student’s
Individualized
Educational Plan
or IEP. We strongly
support ongoing
efforts to include
more students
with disabilities
in regular classroom
settings where
they will interact
with non-disabled
peers, and our
districts seek
opportunities
to use this approach
whenever it will
benefit our students.
My own district
is unique among
the special services
districts in that
we do not operate
our own school.
Rather, we provide
all of our programs
at 11 local district
sites throughout
Warren County.
For a rural county
like ours, this
approach provides
the best of both
worlds –
cost-effective,
high-quality services
coupled with opportunities
to include disabled
students in mainstream
classrooms and
other activities
with regular education
students.
However, mainstream
classes cannot
always meet the
needs of students
with multiple
and severe disabilities.
That is why parents,
who are dedicated
and passionate
advocates for
their children,
often prefer that
they be educated
in a specialized
setting geared
to their specific
needs. As New
Jersey embraces
inclusive education,
we urge the Legislature
to be alert to
extreme philosophies
that push inclusion
as a universal
approach and would
deny the state’s
most severely
disabled pupils
these essential
programs. We ask
that you continue
to support specialized
public schools
and programs with
a proven record
of helping students
with severe disabilities
develop essential
academic, cognitive,
communication,
and life skills.
I know the Legislature
hears a great
deal about the
rising cost of
special education
in New Jersey,
and the 8 special
services districts
share your concern.
Small classes,
individual aides,
therapy services,
new technology,
and specialized
equipment are
very expensive,
and we recognize
that these costs
can strain local
district budgets.
However, providing
these services
on a regional
basis is far more
cost-effective
than doing so
in most individual
local districts.
With an eye on
cost efficiency,
the county special
services districts
also go beyond
direct educational
programs to provide
a wide range of
other services
to local school
districts. Shared
special education
services enable
all local districts
to address the
diverse needs
of classified
students who attend
their home schools.
And, other types
of shared services
reduce duplication
and produce substantial
local costs savings
in administrative
and regular education
areas.
For example,
my district provides
coordinated transportation
services for all
Warren County
school districts,
which increases
efficiency and
reduces the cost
of special education
and nonpublic
transportation.
Because many of
the districts
in our county
are quite small,
we also contract
with districts
to provide child
study team services,
as well as speech,
occupational and
physical therapy
services. This
eliminates the
need for many
local districts
to hire these
mandated staff
members individually
when they don’t
need full-time
services.
Shared services
offered in other
counties include
county-wide preschool
handicapped programs,
nonpublic school
services, nursing
services, and
professional development.
These specialized
services are delivered
to local districts
on a less expensive
regional basis,
rather than each
district having
to provide its
own. For your
information, I
have attached
to my testimony
a complete list
of the shared
services offered
by the 8 county
special services
districts. Additional
services are being
added all the
time, in response
to requests from
our local districts.
In closing, I
would like to
extend to each
of you an open
invitation to
visit my district
or one of the
others to get
a first-hand look
at our evolving
array of programs
and services for
New Jersey’s
most severely
disabled children
and adults. It
would be an experience
well worth your
time and effort.
I think you will
see that the county
special services
school districts
are a critical
resource for students,
parents, and local
district partners,
providing outstanding
learning opportunities
as well as shared
services that
enhance local
district efficiency.
Thank you for
this opportunity
to speak today.
I will be happy
to respond to
any questions. |
