By Leslie Collins
Northeast News
August 17, 2011

For months, the proposed closing of the special needs school, R.J. Delano, ignited controversy. Parents protested and some Delano students cried. Closing the school meant an end to familiar and comforting surroundings.

But, on Aug. 12, only positive remarks could be heard as the public toured the newly renovated annex at East High School. Thirty-two high school aged students from Delano will fill the classrooms in the annex the first day of school and 10 of Delano’s elementary students will attend Wheatley Elementary School. Both faculty and support staff from Delano will continue to work with the students in their new settings.

“I am thrilled with the new space. They’ve (school district) done an amazing job,” Speech Language Pathologist Ryann Kendall told Northeast News.

Before transferring to the annex, Kendall taught her students in a storage closet, she said.

Now, Kendall has a classroom of her own with large windows and natural light.

Physical Therapist Pam Hays also commended the district on renovating the annex and said she’s pleased with the space. Hays added that the new physical therapy room includes more storage space and brighter walls.

Another bonus, Kendall said, is access to East High’s agricultural education department located near the annex.

Instead of simply showing pictures of animals or greenhouses, Kendall can take her students outside to view the real thing.

“It’s a huge added bonus,” Kendall said. “I love hands-on and being out there in the real thing. We’re excited.”

To make room for the Delano students, the Kansas City, Missouri School District (KCMSD) moved the agricultural education department students to a building closer to East High’s greenhouses, gardens and animals, said KCMSD Chief Operating Officer Gen. Michael Rounds. KCMSD renovated an existing building, which offers more space than before, updated lighting and more convenience, he said. A paved walking path now leads to the building and the greenhouses. Rounds stressed the agricultural department was “not sacrificed.”

As Cheryl Stoyanov looked around her husband’s classroom, her eyes watered.

“This is so much more than we expected,” she told Northeast News. “It’s just fabulous and the kids are going to love it. I just know it.”

Last year, Stoyanov co-taught with her husband, Metodi, at Delano, teaching life skills, math, English, science, reading and history. This year, Stoyanov will work as a facilitator and her husband will continue teaching former Delano students.

Mr. Stoyanov’s classroom features new cabinets, sinks, a stove and oven combo, refrigerator, microwave, washer and dryer. All will aid students in learning about life skills and making the transition from school to work life, Mr. Stoyanov said.

“For some kids, it’s a challenge to even use the microwave,” he said. “If they can learn to set the microwave to a certain time for a certain food, this will be an accomplishment.”

Students will learn to follow recipes and measure ingredients, practice good manners, wash and dry laundry, among other skills.

During the lunch hour, the students will eat in Stoyanov’s classroom, which the couple named “Eastside Bistro.” During the family-style meal, students will learn to serve each other, set the table, practice good manners, improve their social skills and clean-up when they’re finished, Mr. Stoyanov said. Once a month, Stoyanov plans to introduce his students to a new ethnic cuisine and teach his students about the culture.

“What we had was a candle and right here we have a firework,” Mrs. Stoyanov said of the classroom. “It’s so much more. There’s no comparison.”

“It’s state of the art over here,” Mr. Stoyanov added.

Other features of the annex include new flooring, freshly painted walls, new light fixtures proven most efficient for learning, a nurses station, handicap accessible bathrooms and a student center.

While everything else is ready for the start of school, the student center still needs work. That’s because the special needs students have been tasked with choosing the dcor and theme for their student center, Rounds said. Once students choose their theme, the district will take the students on a field trip to purchase the furniture and accessories, Rounds said.

“This is spectacular,” KCMSD Director of Exceptional Education Dr. Amy Barth said of the transformation. “It’s an amazing space that students with disabilities have not seen in years. They now have access to general education (with non-special needs students) and that’s spectacular.”

Exposing the former Delano students to the general student population for classes like music and art will enhance the Delano students’ learning, she said.

“It gives them access to strong instruction, knowledge, social interaction and different teaching practices. And that leads to better learning outcomes,” Barth said.