By Gerard Hetman ghetman@theabingtonjournal.com
Reporter / Photographer
GOlackawanna
SOUTH ABINGTON TWP. – For more than 100 years, the school now known as the Scranton School for Deaf and Hard-of Hearing Children has been a pillar of the local educational landscape. For many of those years, the Lourdesmont school in South Abington Township also helped fulfill the needs of students with unique learning situations.
Now, to better meet the needs of those they serve, the schools have completed a transaction that will see a new era in education open for the institutions.
With an agreement completed in late July, it was recently announced that the Western Pennsylvania School for the Deaf has purchased the Lourdesmont campus at 537 Venard Road in South Abington Township for $2.4 million. Lourdesmont Good Shepherd Youth and Family Services provides special education and mental health services for troubled adolescents and their families, as well as social services and outreach programs in the community.
The Pittsburgh-based Western Pennsylvania School for the Deaf, a private, non-profit institution that is chartered by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, took over operations of the former Scranton State School for the Deaf , 1800 N. Washington Ave., Scranton, prior to the start of the 2009-10 academic year, renaming the institution the Scranton School for Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Children.
At a press conference in Scranton on Tuesday, Western Pennsylvania School for the Deaf Superintendent Donald Rhoten outlined plans for the school’s current Lourdesmont campus.
“Our aim with the Scranton School has been to continue offering services to deaf and hard-of-hearing children in a cost-effective and positive way,” Rohoten said. “After the Commonwealth approached us in early 2009 about operating a school here to replace the state school, some people thought we were carpetbaggers…just grabbing up everyone and everything to take back to Pittsburgh.
“We hope this acquisition shows local residents that we are here to stay, and that we want to play an active role in the community.”
Rhoten said that Lourdesmont was scheduled to cease operations at the facility by August 20 and has until the end of August to vacate the property altogether. Renovations are currently ongoing in the former convent at Lourdesmont, which will be used to house resident students who are enrolled in the Scranton school’s pre-kindergarten through eighth grade program. Classes will continue to be offered at the Scranton campus this year while renovations take place to make the classrooms and learning spaces at Lourdesmont fully operational for the 2011-12 school year.
“We love the community here in Scranton, Green Ridge and Dunmore, and they have been wonderful to our school community,” Rhoten said. “But we are very excited about opening a new chapter in South Abington Township. We have already been in touch with our neighbors there, including Baptist Bible College, the South Abington Township Police and Fire Departments, as well as township administrators. All of them have been more than supportive of our plans.”
Rhoten said that all high school students who were enrolled at the Scranton School were offered the chance to continue their education at the Western Pennsylvania School for the Deaf campus in Pittsburgh. Twenty-three students accepted the opportunity, and will begin study there in fall, bringing the total high school enrollment to more than 100. Two high school students will continue to attend classes at the school’s Scranton campus.
“We follow the needs of our students, and we do what is best for them,” Rhoten said. “If we need to have more high school programs here, we will look at that.”
Regarding the future of the campus in Scranton, Rhoten said that the Scranton School has been “a tenant” on the property, which he said is still owned by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The sale of the 10-acre facility to Marywood University for $500,000 is a part of Pennsylvania House Bill 2275 and was last amended on June 30, 2010. Marywood Communications Director Juneann Greco said because the sale is included in current legislation, the university did not foresee any conflict in their potential acquisition.
The plan for the future operations of Lourdesmont is unclear. Speaking on behalf of the school Tuesday, Laurie Cadden said that the administration is in the process of implementing a public relations plan to notify the public of the school’s future, and that an announcement will be forthcoming Sunday, Aug. 22. More information will be released in the coming weeks she added.
Lourdesmont had recently notified the Northeast Educational Intermediate Unit #19 that the facility no longer required the services of 10 teachers and eight teachers’ assistants who are employed by NEIU at Lourdesmont. NEIU Executive Director Dr. David Reese said that all 10 teachers have found work at other schools served by NEIU or have left the organization for other opportunities. The teachers’ aides have been laid off but will be called back if possible in order of seniority.
Source: http://www.timesleader.com/golackawanna/news/Lourdesmont_campus__sold_to_School_for_Deaf_08-22-2010.html