School for Blind Will Remain Open
The Wisconsin School for the Visually Handicapped in Janesville will
remain open at least through the 1998-99 school year, officials have announced.
Reacting to extensive opposition, the Legislature has rebuffed plans
by State Superintendent John Benson to close the facility. A bill introduced
at Benson's request to shut the school down has not been acted upon and
will die when the current legislative session ends next month.
The school's 32 teachers are represented by WEAC Council #1.
"We are pleased that legislators recognize the value of a residential
school and would not take action on Benson's ill-fated proposal,"
said Karen Heesen, president of the Parents-Staff-Student Association
at the school.
Heesen said Benson's proposal was not well thought out.
"He did not seek the ideas or support of related groups or legislators
prior to his announcement in August," she said. "Nor did DPI
identify the quality of existing services and needs of visually impaired
children around the state.
"PSSA suggests DPI has wasted a lot of state resources in the past
seven months to justify the proposal and undermine the educational process
at WSVH."
Supporters of the WSVH said Benson has been slowly undermining the school
for years. Benson said he wants to close the facility because of declining
enrollment, but supporters charged that the declining enrollment was a
result of Benson's failure to promote the school among parents of blind
children in Wisconsin.
In September 1997, the Wisconsin Council for the Blind filed a lawsuit
seeking to prevent Benson from withholding resources from the school.
In December, supporters of the school packed a hearing in the State Assembly
Chamber to plead for the school's continuation.
Wisconsin residents interested in sending a child to WSVH may call Heesen
at 608-752-0139 or call the Wisconsin Council for the Blind at 800-783-5213.
Posted March 5, 1998