DuBois superintendent responds to Jeff Tech special education action

Following action at the Jeff Tech Operating Committee meeting last night concerning special education services, Reynlow News reached out to DuBois Area School District Superintendent Wendy Benton via email for a comment. This was her response:

“As previously stated to the Director of Jeff Tech, Dr. Barry Fillman, we do not plan to make any changes to the special education services provided to our students that attend Jeff Tech.

Before the students are “Jeff Tech’s” students, they are our DuBois Area School District students and we take great pride in providing the services required to help our students to be successful. We plan to continue providing learning support services to our students that attend Jeff Tech. And, as always, we still plan to provide emotional support, autism support and life skills support to our students that attend Jeff Tech through a partial day programming option through services provided at our High School.

The change is that we are no longer providing learning support services to the students attending Jeff Tech from Brookville, Brockway and Punxsutawney School Districts.”

When asked what would happen to the teachers involved if Jeff Tech starts its own special education services, Benton said it was too soon to tell, but those teachers would not lose their jobs. She offered these options:

The teachers could become employees of Jeff Tech through a transfer of entity.
The teachers could apply and be hired without a transfer of entity.
The teachers could be reassigned to positions within the DASD.
Some teachers may decide to retire.

She also added, “My hope is that the teachers remain and continue providing services to DASD students.”