SOURCE

04/20/09
VINELAND - Mayor Robert Romano today is set to visit the state Department of Children and the Families Regional School, which is set to close by July 2010, along with 17 other such facilities.

The school for 35 years has administered children and adults - between the ages of 3 and 21 - who are handicapped, adjudicated, cognitively impaired and developmentally disabled, as well as pregnant teens.


At least one parent and others close to the West Sherman Avenue school have expressed fear over reports the facility would close by the end of June.

However, NJDCF spokeswoman Kate Bernyk has refuted that claim.

Some at the school said parents and faculty are in a state of "confusion." No one on the state level has been able to tell them where the students will ultimately be relocated.

Bernyk has stated the students will be placed into other programs - ranging from regular public schools to county special services - on a case-by-case basis.

Romano will visit the school today at 1:30 p.m. for a short tour.

On April 30, Sen. Jeff Van Drew, along with assemblymen Nelson Albano and Matt Milam, will also tour the school.

"We further request that you publicly invite Gov. Corzine to visit the DCF Cumberland Campus School, as we have attempted to contact him on several occasions with no reply," said Grissel Ayala, co-president of the school's Parent Teacher Association.

She added: "According to Gov. Corzine, he was a governor that was in favor of providing money to schools. However, he is attempting to close the schools that are truly needed, as students have no other educational facilities to go to."

According to Bernyk, the decision to cut all 18 NJDCF campuses came out of a desire to "streamline" the department's resources to "focus back on what we're legislatively and legally mandated to do, which is offer support, but not run schools."

She added enrollment at the schools had also been falling.

The Vineland campus currently serves 31 students.