Special education co-op hosts open house

By Janet Jacobs

May 21, 2008 09:00 pm

— The Navarro-Freestone special education cooperative is hosting an open house of its new administration building from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. today in Fairfield.
The address of the new Freestone Navarro Bi County Co-op building is 225 W. Reunion.
The cooperative provides diagnosis and support for special education students and teachers throughout the two counties, except for students in Corsicana Independent School District.
“We provide special education services to 10 school districts in Freestone and Navarro County, and have for 30 years,” said Pat Harper, director of special education.
The six smaller school districts in Navarro — Blooming Grove, Dawson, Frost, Kerens, Mildred and Rice — all participate in the co-op. The system sends out experts trained to diagnose obstacles to learning, to the various school districts and then help set up plans to address these obstacles. Dew, Fairfield, Teague and Wortham also participate.
The co-op has long been housed in Fairfield schools, but as Fairfield is growing, the district asked the co-op to move. Hence, the brand, new 6,000-square-foot building off Reunion.
“It’s just administration offices,” Harper said. “No kids are here. We serve all the kids out at the schools.”
The cost of the $500,000 building was split among the 10 participating school districts.
“They really support special education, and I think that says a lot about the individual district’s boards and superintendents,” Harper said.
The event is open to the public. For more information about the co-op, call (903) 389-3372.
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Janet Jacobs may be reached via e-mail at jacobs@corsicanadailysun.com