Kids of District 200 need better building

Kids of District 200 need better building

As the grandparent of two Jefferson students, I wholeheartedly ask you to vote yes on the Jefferson referendum on Tuesday.

A couple weeks ago I attended Grandparents Day at Jefferson. It was evident how much the staff cares about the success and well-being of their students. They truly make do with what they’ve got. Even without the grandparents in the classrooms, it is very difficult for the students and staff to maneuver in such tight quarters. There is so much special equipment and the children who use walkers and wheelchairs can’t do so independently or they cannot participate to their full ability due to conditions of the building. It’s unbelievable to me that often a child gets one-on-one services in old broom closets that are being used for educational purposes.

All of the other schools in Wheaton have been renovated and updated. I realize that building a new school is expensive but Jefferson was built in 1958 and no longer meets the needs of the kids that attend the school. In fact, on Grandparents Day I overheard that one of the other grandparents had attended Jefferson as a child and his classroom was the same as his grandchild’s.

I was also relieved that I did not have to park across the street at the DuPage County Fairgrounds. I didn’t want to cross busy Manchester Road with two 4-year-old boys at the end of the session. The orientation of the new building will provide safe drop off and pick up for both buses and cars.

The children of District 200 need a better building that meets their needs. They deserve a building that enhances their learning — not a building that impedes their learning.

Peggy Tschetter

Wheaton