WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — Isely Elementary School, 5256 N. Woodlawn, a Pre-K through fifth-grade magnet school, could expand to Pre-K through eighth grade. Wichita Public Schools says that consolidating the grades would ease the transition for students moving from elementary to middle school. However, this could come at the cost of Isely’s special education resources.
“Students going from fifth to sixth grade, that’s kind of a stressor, is that transition. But we were all sitting there, us in the special needs community, like, ‘What about us?'” Courtney Vanek, mother to a child with Down syndrome, said, recalling her reaction to the proposal.
Her son, James – nicknamed “Jimo” – has finally found his footing at Isely. She says the connections he’s made could take years to rebuild. The school was built as a Pre-K through eighth school but hasn’t been run that way. The extra space is where the magnet school hosts its specialized programs, like special education.
“He’s thriving at this school,” Vanek said. “He’s 6 years old, and this is the first time I feel like my child’s being left behind because he has a disability.”
Vanek recently moved to be closer to Isely Elementary. Since enrolling Jimo, she says he has shown marked improvement in his performance. If Isely expands, special education students would be moved, separating Jimo from the friends and faculty he’s grown to love.
“They have a higher need for consistency,” Kacie Edleston, Down Syndrome Society of Wichita, said.
Her organization connects families with special needs children to resources around Wichita. Edleston, mother to a child with Down syndrome herself, understands the uphill battle.
“The learning loss for people with disabilities when they’re moved to new situations can take a long time to overcome,” she said.
Courtney Vanek remains hopeful but fears the decision has already been made.
“I pass (Isely) twice a day, so I can’t imagine passing it every day knowing he should be in there,” she said.
KSN News contacted the school board president, who referred us to the district’s spokesperson. She informed KSN multiple times that no one was available for an interview but did provide a statement:
“Wichita Public Schools continues to welcome feedback on our proposal to convert Isely into a Pre-K through 8th grade building. While there certainly are benefits that this change would provide, we recognize that it is always challenging to move students (and programs) from one building to another. With the physical space limitations for this particular situation, tough choices will have to be made.”
The board of education votes on the expansion on Nov. 4.
