Dist. 211's new Higgins center will house most special ed classes
Members of the general public Thursday got their first look at a new facility housing nearly all of Palatine-Schaumburg High School District 211's special education programs under one roof.
The Higgins Education Center, immediately east of Hoffman Estates High School on Higgins Road, also will begin hosting evening wellness and social services in a few weeks.
The 26,000-square-foot building that once belonged to Barrington Orthopedic will now host District 211's Adult Transition Program, Academy-South alternative school and the New Endeavors programs serving students along the autism spectrum.
The gathering of these programs from other facilities that were variously industrial, temporary or out-of-district represents a great step forward for District 211, Superintendent Dan Cates said.
"It's really a great day," he added. "I'm a strong believer it is our privilege and responsibility to serve the public. But today we create a new public. Our public will be better."
The building opens with 110 students but has the capacity to serve up to 150.
The Adult Transition Program helps graduates of the district with mild and moderate cognitive impairments continue building their vocational, life and leisure skills through the age of 22. It was previously headquartered in a pair of trailers in the Hoffman Estates High School parking lot and at a leased facility outside the district's borders.
The Academy-South program serves high school students with social and emotional challenges.
Most of the students in the New Endeavors program are moving back in district from either the Northwest Suburban Special Education District's Miner School program in Arlington Heights or a private therapeutic day school.
Former District 211 school board member Rich Gerber attended the open house to see the fulfillment of a vision that started four years ago.
A real estate agent, Gerber said the strength of the schools is the top reason people move to the area, creating a spillover attraction for businesses that most people don't realize.
In just a few weeks, the building also will host such evening programs as family learning labs, social services, literacy education and volunteer outreach for all residents of District 211 and Schaumburg Township Elementary District 54.
Though not part of the district's original reason for acquiring the building, an opportunity to house such programs for the communities was recognized during the yearlong renovation, said Continuing Education and Community Outreach Director Jerry Trevino.
"It's like any vision," Trevino said. "A vision will be fluid and evolving to serve the community."