ELK GROVE, Calif. — Parents crowded the Elk Grove Unified School District board meeting to demand answers about the district's plans for Jessie Baker School.
For decades, Baker has created an inclusive community for children with severe and moderate disabilities. However, some parents and staff worry it's shifting into a school for older students and adults.
In a letter to parents, the district said, first and foremost, Jessie Baker will continue operating and serving students of all ages. However, the school board meeting was packed with parents worried that they could lose the inclusive education environment at Jessie Baker School for their kids with moderate to severe disabilities.
"It doesn’t just feel like an education system. They feel like a family community," said Elizabeth Thompson, a parent.
She uprooted her family from the Bay Area six years ago so her two sons, Cade and Rex, could attend school.
"They’re the reason that I sold my home and moved away from all of my people, my family, for Jessie Baker," Thompson said.
Anne Rigali, director of Special Education at Elk Grove Unified, declined a request from ABC10 for an interview. But in her letter to parents on Aug. 30, she said the district intends to offer Jessie Baker as a placement option for students and has no intention of displacing any existing student who is currently attending.
But some parents worry that fewer and fewer elementary students are being admitted, and that Baker could eventually transition toward begin an all adult school.
The district said Baker experienced a shift toward an older student demographic and that it will likely continue.
"There’s been no communication up until this year that that’s taking place or the district’s plan for Jessie Baker," said Nate Smith, another parent.
Smith said his six-year-old, Rowan, thrives at the school. He has a rare disease that caused him to be non-verbal.
"Everyone in the school knows his name. The other kids in the school care about him. They include him in things. It’s just night and day compared to where he would otherwise be placed," Smith said.
He hopes the board will hear him and other parents and reconsider.
"These kids need stability, and they find that at Baker that they wouldn’t find in a traditional elementary school," Smith said.
An inquiry to the school district about their plans for the school was not immediately returned.
The district also said they Jessie Baker is set to receive about $2 million in facility improvement. They called it a testament to their commitment toward the school.
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