Braille school chief: Residential aspect may not last

Iowa Braille and Sight Saving School Superintendent Patrick Clancy said it's fair and expected that state legislators would look for efficiencies at the school during tough budget times.

But the idea of closing the residential program at school's Vinton campus is something Clancy doesn't see happening in the near future, though he concedes that the residential aspect may “not be doable long term.”

Clancy, also administrator of the Statewide System for Vision Services, said Braille school officials and vision system leaders are looking for the best ways to meet student needs.

“We're examining the full continuum of services, and recognize the need to look closely at the residential component,” he said.

State Sen. Rob Hogg, D-Cedar Rapids, raised the question of the future of the Braille school, given state cuts, during a legislative forum Thursday.

The 158-year-old Braille school has nine students in the residential program this year, down from 12 last year and 160 a few decades ago.

The shrinking on-campus numbers are part of the transition to a statewide system to provide more services to blind and visually impaired students in their home schools and communities. The new statewide system, of which the Braille school is a part, serves 425 students this year.

“They're really the same students that once were served here on the campus, but just being served in a different way,” Clancy said.

And while only nine students are in the residential program, more come to campus throughout the year for shorter-term services, he said.

The school's state appropriation this year - after a 10 percent budget cut - is about $5.5 million. About $2.7 million of that supports the residential program.

The cost is high because of the small number of students and because of the multiple needs of those students, Clancy said. Some parents still prefer the campus program, he said. They would have to go out of state to find similar programs.