CCS moving ahead with coordinating own alternative ed program

    Based on the ESU #15 contract reviewed by the CCS board earlier this month, alternative education will not be a service CCS will contract for in 2017-18.
    Alternative education is crossed through with a “no” written beside it in the contract reviewed by board members at their April 11 meeting. Another change from the current year is a reduction from .45 to .40 for the ESU psychologist services.
    All of the other services including speech therapy, resource, early childhood/speech, special education director/program supervision, OT services and transition will remain in the CCS contract.
    Richard Munson, a former CCS teacher, attended the April 11 board meeting, and expressed his disappointment that the school is cutting ties with the ESU’s alternative ed program.
    He said putting those students back into the traditional school system is “dead wrong.”
    In response, Supt. Joey Lefdal said he promised that
CCS’s plans to coordinate their own alternative ed program will do more for kids before allowing them to fail.
    Lefdal and the board discussed moving away from the ESU-sponsored alternative education program at the March meeting, when Lefdal was given the go-ahead to proceed with the change.
    Neal Dodge, who now teaches grade 7-8 science, will serve as the alternative ed certificated teacher next year.
    At the March meeting, Lefdal said the program costs CCS around $68,000. Lefdal corrected that figure, saying the school spends closer to $30,000 on the alternative ed program.
    The board did not approve the 2017-18 ESU contract at this month’s meeting. Several wanted to see dollar figures for each service CCS is contracting. As in previous years, the contract they reviewed listed only percentages.