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February 26, 2010

Mother: special needs child not refused by Corbin

By Samantha Swindler / Managing Editor

In a document filed with the Kentucky Department of Education, the Knox County school board claims a special needs student was denied entry into Corbin schools. But the mother of the special needs student says that’s not the case.

In January, Knox County voted to end a reciprocal agreement with Corbin schools that allowed students within the two districts to attend either district. Corbin appealed the decision to KDE, and Knox filed its own response.

“Corbin will no doubt rely upon its test rankings to assert it can provide a better quality education, but when it comes to being open to accepting any and all Knox County residents, its actions differ from its words,” the response read in part. “...When a special needs student moved from Knox County into the Corbin school district, Corbin refused to enroll the student and informed the mother that she could not enroll her child in Corbin. Nonetheless, Knox has continued to educate this special needs child in Knox County.”

But Jackie Frost, mother of the special needs student referenced in the district’s response, said Corbin never refused to enroll her daughter. Rather, she said Corbin needed time to obtain a waiver to hire an additional aide. 

“When I called Corbin they said that it would take a little bit of time, they would take her,” Frost said. “They would have to get a waiver from the state and hire another aide and arrange all that. I didn’t think it was worth all the trouble in the middle of the school year for my daughter to be moved.” 

Frost said she first enrolled her daughter in Knox County schools when she moved to that school district from Detroit in October. About three or four weeks ago, she moved into the Knox County portion of the Corbin school district. She called Knox to arrange for transportation for her daughter and was told a bus to her home wouldn’t be available since she lived in Corbin district. Frost said she now drives about five blocks from her home to where a Knox bus picks up her daughter. Frost said she was happy with the progress her daughter has been making at Knox County schools, she was concerned the move to Corbin might interfere with her daughter’s routine enough to inhibit her further progress. 

“She likes where she’s at, she likes the teacher, and she’s doing well,” Frost said. “I’m not saying that Corbin couldn’t probably do the same thing,” but she said Knox “had the resources available that my daughter needed right now.” 

Knox County’s response to Corbin’s appeal includes an “Exhibit G,” an account of a conversation referencing a special needs student whom Frost says is her daughter. 

The letter does not cite an author, but reads, “The mother informed me that Corbin had told her that they would have to get a one-on-one aide and file a waiver for the teacher, and it was just not worth all the trouble.”

Frost said she and her daughter’s names are listed in the legal document Knox filed with the state. She is sure the legal document refers to her daughter because the girl is the only female special needs student at Lynn Camp. A family member pointed out the listing to Frost. 

“I just want my daughter’s information removed,” Frost said. “... When I emailed the superintendent I basically told  him I thought some of the information was inaccurate and there was misunderstanding in the way it was put out there.”

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