Pocono News Section

Mellow Responds to Plans for SSSD

Mellow Responds to Plans for SSSD - Wednesday, May 13, 2009 at 5:50PM EST

PECKVILLE, LACKAWANNA COUNTY -- Senator Bob Mellow says the privatization of the Scranton State School for the Deaf is a good thing.

"There isn't any question that public education and private education, when you're dealing with special needs, the private sector can do it much better," said Mellow. "That's not a criticism of the school, and that's not a criticism of the Department of Education. It's just a matter of fact."

SSSD officials tell Eyewitness News they're now convinced the state started shutting down the school three years ago, when a team came to evaluate the school. SSSD says more than half of the team had connections to the Western Pennsylvania School for the Deaf, which is taking over SSSD July 1st.

"There was never anything put into place to purposely defeat the school," replied Mellow.

Governor Ed Rendell cut SSSD out of the 2009-2010 proposed budget.

Reporter Kyla Campbell said to Senator Mellow, "Rendell went from saying on February 4th it doesn't make financial sense to (keep the school under state control) to... academic performance." Mellow responded, "Maybe we have to educate Rendell a little bit. Did you ever think of that? And perhaps he's been educated appropriately."

Mellow also said, "This is not being done because of finances. This is being done because of the quality of education."

But Representative Kevin Murphy has told Eyewitness News, the Department of Education's Secretary, Dr. Gerald Zahorchak, initially told Murphy the school was closing due to budget cuts at the state level. Later, Murphy was told it was due to academic performance.

"The closure of SSSD is not about dollars and cents, and it doesn't have the best interest of the students in mind," said Murphy in April. "There is another agenda in play here."

The Department of Education says it cannot guarantee a school in Scranton past 2012. Mellow disagrees and has his own guarantee.

"If I'm here, there's going to be an operation here," said Mellow. Campbell asked if it would be for grades K-12 or grades K-8, with high school students getting sent to Pittsburgh as per the transition plan. "I'm going to guarantee there will be an operation here," responded Mellow. "I don't know how that'll manifest itself, because I don't know what the need is going to be "

He says that need can be measured only one year at a time.

Mellow also tells us a prominent private school in Lackawanna County is interested in providing a residential program for high school students, if necessary, so those students wouldn't have to go to school in Pittsburgh.