Sep 12, 2006 2 min read

State Rep. Bill DeWeese and the Southeastern Greene School Board want to pat themselves on the back for a wonderful job they did by turning the old Penn Pitt Elementary School into a learning center for the special needs students. Not so fast. I agree that we should not just write off students that have serious emotional and behavioral problems. However, to put them in the same building that has preschool students, ages 3 and 4, has me wondering what these people were thinking.

As a parent whose child attends the preschool, it is frightening to think that there are kids as old as 21 with behavior and emotional problems on the floor above mine and the only thing that separates them is a set of stairs. Call me overprotective but if most of these students were not fit to be in a public school what makes them fit to be in the same building with 3- and 4-year-old children?

The current board stated that this school is similar to the Washington County facility. I wonder if that facility has 3- and 4-year-old children attending preschool? It comes down to money. As long as there is money for the school board to receive for leasing the building, then who cares about the little ones?

As for Mr. DeWeese this was nothing more than a publicity stunt during an election year.

Michael Duranko

Greensboro