COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO. -- District 11 is gearing up for a decision on Wasson High's future, and one of the suggestions if the school closes is to move alternative programs into that building to consolidate the district's space.
One of those programs is "Achieve K-12", but part of the program could be left behind.
D-11 is evaluating the K-5 portion of the program, currently serving 15 students who struggled in a normal classroom setting. The program offers online schooling with the same curriculum the students in D-11 schools receive. There's no cost to parents, and students go to Irving School twice a week for social exposure and tutoring. These aren't always developmentally disabled students, but often those who have a hard time focusing in the classroom setting such as students who are severely bullied or who have attention problems or need to learn at a slower pace.
Two parents of children in the program reached out to FOX21 in hopes of raising awareness about the program and it's impact on their lives.
The principal of the Achieve school told them $20,000 went into advertising for the program and still the 25 spots in the school aren't filled. D-11 representatives said the program, which has been in place for 3 years, hasn't shown the amount of progress in test scores they wanted.
Christina Kastl-Lopez said that's just unfair.
"You can't measure their progress in comparison to other children in conventional schools," she said "because that's comparing apples to oranges."
Kastl-Lopez said her son, who has autism as well as a number of health issues that are often embarrassing among other students, has changed significantly since joining the school.
"When you wear diapers and you're almost 8 years old and you don't play with the conventional toys that other 8 year old boys play with, you get tormented on the playground you get hurt," she explained, "he wouldn't come to school."
Her son was so badly bullied and physically tormented, he retreated completely. He wouldn't speak to anyone, and couldnt' recognize his own parents.
"We thought we'd lost him," she said, "We call it his fog. They wanted us to institutionalize him but we just wouldn't have that."
Luckily they found Achieve K-12, and since he's started in the program, her son's confidence level has boosted.
"He wants to go in and say hi to his teachers all the time. He likes that he can play with other kids here. He'll come here with a happy face."
Marcella Cawiezell saw a similar change in her daughter.
"She said, 'this school has changed my life,'" Cawiezell explained, "I would add to that and say this program saved her life."
Cawiezell said large classrooms aren't conducive to addressing bullying, and people don't often see the full extent of it's affect.
"Bullying isn't always what people think it is," she explained, "It is very damaging, and it is a continual degredation of a child's self esteem."
They say the program is too much to lose.
Kastl-Lopez has a son at Wasson. She said it would be sad for him to leave his school, but the children who the community should be more worried about is these younger children left with no other options.
"We can't allow this program to go away. We're asking and pleading the public, please just 2 and a half teachers. That's all we need."
It's unsure where the teachers from the program would go, should it be cut. One suggestion is to add them to the high school level of the Achieve school.
Kastl-Lopez said the kids who can't learn at a young age need more attention, not the older kids, and Cawiezell agrees.
"There are so many children who need this... need this in their lives."
The district is unsure when a decision will be made on their program.
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