Some Important Questions about the Proposed School
1. How many students will it accommodate?
Only 24.
2. Who will pay for the school?
Funding is from New York State. Right now the state funds this program
out of state,
at considerably greater expense. Bringing the the children home to Long
Island will save the state
(and thus the taxpayers) money.
3. Will the convent building be renovated?
Yes. SCO will fund an over $1million renovation of the building.
4. Will they add on to the building?
No. They do not have permission to build up or out.
5. Will they be using Village of Westbury
services?
No. Westbrook will not place any finacial burden on the school district
or village.
They will pay for their own garbage pickup, utilities, etc.
6. Will there be a financial benefit to
the Village and parish?
Yes. The income from the rental of the convent building will pay for parish
programs and
subsidy to the regional school. Westbrook intends to buy from local merchants.
Westbrook will employ people from the local area. Those who work at the
school can also take advantage of downtown Westbury shops and services,
thus having an overall positive financial impact on the community. (Plus,
we won't have an abandoned building in the neighborhood.)
7. Is the proposed school a residential
program? If so, what kind of supervision will be provided?
Yes, there will be 24 students living at the school, yet they'll be close
to their families in the Westbury area. There will be full supervision
round the clock(actually more staff in the evenings and weekends than
during regular class hours), with awake staff and supervisor throughout
the night.
8. What kind of school will it be?
It is a college preparatory school. Students will wear uniforms and be
enrolled in a regents program. They will be able to take advantage of
local colleges for educational, physical education and cultural programs.
Westbrook has already lined up partnerships with Adelphi University and
other local colleges.
9. Is this a new "experimental"
school or "pilot program"?
No, residential schools for children with High Function Austism or Asperger
Syndrome have proven very effective in other states. The only thing "pilot"
about Westbrook is that, at last, we'll be the first community to bring
this much-needed program home to New York State and Long Island. But the
educational and developmental aspects of the program are being replicated
from the already existing most successful programs.
10. Can SCO change the population of the
school once the lease is agreed to?
No. The lease will limit the population of the school to only 24 students
with Asperger Syndrome or High Functioning Autism. Once the lease is over
and if it is not renewed, the use of the building will return to its pre-lease
status.
11. When will the school open?
Once all the legal procedures have been completed, it is estimated that
it will take one year to renovate the building. (During the renovation
time, SCO will pay rent to St. Brigid's Parish for the support of its
programs.) The school hopes to begin serving students by the summer or
fall of 2009.
12. If I know someone who would like to
enroll their child in this school, what should I tell them to do?
Well, for now they have to wait. The school doesn't exist yet. At this
time their child can only be served out of state. We hope that we can
offer the 24 openings by 2009. It won't address the needs of all the approximately
50 Long Island who qualify for this program, but it is a beginning here
on Long Island. The State Education Department makes the determination
of who qualifies for this program, so parents should speak with their
local school district about placement -- when the time comes.
Some important Questions
and Answers about Asperger Syndrome and Autism
Some important Questions
and Answers about the Next Steps