Nina's Fight for an Education: A Community's Embrace and a School's Refusal

Nina, a 17-year-old with severe autism, is a familiar face in Newburyport, known for her outgoing personality and her service dog, Raja. She loves her daily outings with her mom, Sarah, whether it's cycling together or swimming at the YMCA. The community has welcomed Nina with open arms, but there's one place where she's not accepted: her local high school. Newburyport Public Schools claims the school can't meet Nina's complex needs, despite having the right specialists. Instead, they want to send her to a residential school far from home. This has left Nina out of the classroom for three years, missing out on learning and making friends. Her parents have also faced financial strain, with Sarah taking leave from work and both parents paying for extra insurance to cover therapies Nina should be getting at school. Nina's story highlights the ongoing challenges in educating students with disabilities, 50 years after the U. S. promised to provide education for all. Despite her limited verbal skills, Nina understands what's going on around her and is eager to interact with others. Her parents believe she could thrive in a local school, but the district insists on sending her away. The Joors withdrew Nina from a private special education school in New Hampshire after finding it lacked structure and proper support. They alerted Newburyport Public Schools in advance, and the district didn't dispute their decision. However, the Joors later discovered the district had withheld documents showing Nina's decline at the school. Since then, the Joors have been fighting with the district over Nina's education. They want her to attend school during the day and live at home, but the district keeps pushing for a residential school, even recommending one in another state with a hefty price tag and a history of neglect. The Joors question why the district won't invest in in-district programming for Nina. They've even offered to waive her confidentiality rights so the district could speak publicly about the situation, but the district declined. Experts agree that children with disabilities benefit from inclusive classrooms, and so do their typical peers. Nina's most recent assessment recommends a day school, but many have turned her down, citing lack of openings or inappropriate facilities. Meanwhile, the Joors are paying for critical therapies out of pocket and suing the district for failing to provide a free and appropriate public education. As Nina approaches adulthood, her parents worry about her future. They want her to be independent, but with each day out of school, that goal seems further away. The Joors are determined to fight for Nina's right to an education, but the battle has been long and exhausting.