Wheaton Warrenville Community Unit School District 200’s Transition Program is moving to a new location in Wheaton.
The program provides special education students with life skills and training to help them transition from the school environment into the adult community. It has been housed at Hubble Middle School for several years now, despite not being an ideal location for the program, school officials said.
“That’s not a suitable location for them. It’s been there for the last three years because of the budget crunch a couple of years ago,” Joanne Panopoulos, assistant superintendent for student services, told board members on May 14.
It’s important for those in the program to have access to the community for jobs and public transportation so they can build independence, she said.
The Board of Education unanimously approved a three-year lease for a new location inside of the DuPage Technology Center building at 100 Bridge Street. The cost for the first year is about $30,799.
“This particular situation is an opportunity to provide a better learning environment for students in the Transition Program,” said Superintendent Brian Harris, at the meeting. “We’ve looked at multiple locations in the community and believe this location is the most appropriate.”
Board President Barb Intihar pointed out that it will be within walking distance to downtown Wheaton.
“The setting will be really good for our students to they can develop some life skills,” she said.
The lease will start on July 1 and run through June 30, 2017.
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