Newton School Committee Closes Deaf And Hard Of Hearing Program

NEWTON, MA — After more than 30 years in the Newton school district, the Education Collaborative’s Deaf and Hard of Hearing Program will close — at least in its present form.

The Newton School Committee voted unanimously to support ending the dissolution process for the program after the Education Collaborative’s board of directors said it couldn’t afford to keep the program in Newton and surrounding cities open and voted to begin dissolving all of them.

The program will officially close in June 2022, but Newton School Committee members and Superintendent David Fleishman said they plan to work to create a replacement program within the district. Fleishman noted that the district has only 15 students in the EDCO today, but has taken advantage of it largely for professional development reasons in recent years.

Former students of the EDCO program and Newton residents opposed the move during the School Committee meeting Monday night, citing its role in their development and education.

Jamie Moore, a 2012 graduate of the EDCO program, said when kids who are deaf or hard of hearing are in a classroom together they are able to form a sense of community.

“The EDCO program is pivotal—absolutely vital—for my success, and for deaf and hard of hearing kids who are up and coming and future generations,” Moore said through an interpreter.

Moore, who’s an industrial designer, credited one of his teachers for showing him the possibilities that he had and for being there for him when he was a student.

“It's a wonderful program, it's a wonderful school,” Moore said. "We have to do everything we can to make sure that it stays intact.”

The Education Collaborative is a partnership of 16 school districts in the state. Its board of directors—which voted on Feb. 10 to begin the process to dissolve the programs—is composed of superintendents and school committees from those districts. School committees in member districts have until March 30, as required by the collaborative's bylaws, to vote on the proposed dissolution. The programs will close if a majority of member school committees vote in favor of the closure.

“Upon the dissolution of EDCO, districts have been informed, as per the governing documents of the organization, that any outstanding debts will pass proportionally to each member district, as well as former member districts," said EDCO Interim Executive Director Cyndy Taymore in a statement. "There are a number of issues that must first be fully understood and resolved before the final cost of dissolving the collaborative can be determined."