I know this article is several months old, but I just had to respond here. I work with many of the kids who go to these kinds of schools, and their families, in a mental health role. First, the LAST place they should be is prison!! How can you say that about a younger person, full of hope and potential? There is always a reason for these major behavior problems. Sure, it's usually because there are problems at home, and of course that's not an excuse for kids to act up. But can you really expect them to act differently without the proper support (from the COMMUNITY as well good mental health treatment) for both the adolescent and their parents?? Second, there are several Community Schools in the region that cover the entire county: East, West, Southeast and North (I think!). I've mostly just had kids at West, Southeast (Lancaster City area high school) and South (Lancaster City middle school). The IU-13 is not "shipping" kids to Penryn to disrupt the community there; that's simply where the school was obtained. It's an old elementary school. Do you think the kids--and their parents--enjoy the longer commute to school?

I'm not going to speak for the IU-13 staff. I've met several who are perfectly competent. But here's a question: Do you think it would be better for kids with major behavior problems, who deserve an education just like everyone else, to be housed in a huge school where there are more opportunities for them to get into trouble with peers, with teachers who have little to no time to devote to them, OR a smaller school with staff that has at least some training, and less opportunity to get stressed by large crowds? I've had kids on my caseload that we worked hard with to make sure they didn't get in enough trouble to have to go to Community School, because we didn't want them to get more negative peer influence. But others were there already, and we worked with them wherever they happened to be.

I've worked with 2 different kids at Community West who were really great kids who happened to make some stupid mistakes. It doesn't take much; even 1-2 incidents that get you charges may lead to placement in Community School. But both of these boys excelled, maintained the highest level for privileges, and eventually moved back into their regular public school. Neither of them were any kind of threat to the community. They were fantastic to work with, and I expect both of them will succeed as adults.

And just so you know, juvenile deliquents are EVERYWHERE. Just like little puppies and kittens are abused and homeless (and get more media attention than unloved HUMAN babies). They are less likely to get in trouble during school as opposed to immediately after school, if they happen to be unsupervised. They are certainly not going to randomly come into your home and assault you for no reason. And you aren't any more unsafe if you happen to live close to a Community School. You can find "misfits" in any community, anywhere on earth. I know plenty of kids with behavior problems who haven't struggled with drugs and alcohol (yet). Drugs are a symptom, rather than the cause, of these kids' problems.

Please get more information before passing judgment on something. I'm sorry for those of you who have had bad experiences with the IU. I've heard those stories before, and it's unfortunate. Parents are a vital part of their child's treatment team, and you have every right to know every detail of what is being done to help your child with special needs succeed. But please know that that does not mean the entire IU is corrupt or something!

KIDS FROM BROKEN HOMES DESERVE JUST AS MUCH LOVE, ATTENTION, AND EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES AS THOSE WHO COME FROM LOVING HOMES. Get to know a kid before you judge them because of some behavior problems. It's not who they are, it's something they struggle with!

Bless your heart, sweetlucydreams. Well-said. In my son's case, he did not do well at Community West because he is easily influenced and needs lots of positive role models. Thank you for the affirmation about not judging troubled kids.

@Roadrunnerinpa,

God bless you and your child. I wish you all the best.

We have come so far from when children with MR were just institutionalized. But we have so much further to go. The thought of prisons or detention facilities now coming to replace the "institutions" of the past is just horrifying.

I know little of the IU's, but I've had considerable experience delivering direct care to those with MH/MR problems. It is a high stress environment, and well trained and qualified staff is essential. Just speaking from my own experience, empathy and positive reinforcement has always yielded the best results, and the best way to defuse a situation is to prevent it from escalating. Do they have enough staff? Or is the staff limited in intervention by internal regulations?

@sweetlucydreams,

Bless you. To me, and to many others, your work is valued.

I want to thank most of you here (there are a few exceptions, of course) for displaying your complete lack of education to the entire public. The IU is made up of MANY different components. Many of these kids are "shipped" to other districts to help facilitate their needs. For example, my ex works for the IU and teaches one on one with a child that has asperger's syndrome. These kids are in some serious need of help. We can't just lock them up or throw them on an island somewhere. The progress she makes with these kids each year is absolutely incredible! Before you go saying this or saying that I have a degree in psychology and my son has asperger's syndrome. I don't think that there is a textbook or general book that I have not read and reread over and over again! Show some humanity people, please!

I think there are plenty of staff. As I said before, the teachers were for the most part, wonderful. But their classes are set up for failure when you lump all the kids with behavior problems together and then do not allow ther teachers to intervene in a potential crisis. This is an administrative problem, not the staff that works directly with the kids.

And FYI, the IU does do some marvelous work. The progress that disabled preschoolers show is amazing. I just have a problem with their policies on dealing with troubled kids.