Additionally, several students reside in the south county community and are served by this program. The basic funding for special education is provided by state, federal, and local tax revenues. The state department of education has established an instructional personnel services unit rate which covers salaries and benefits for a teacher and an aide and additional support for the instructional program. With an average class size of 10 pupils, the average cost for a special education student is more than two times that of regular education in our schools and statewide. Class Size Friendship School consists of five special education classes, each staffed by a teacher and student attendants, with an adult to student ratio of one adult to three students.
Class size ranges from seven to ten students.
At Friendship School, all teachers hold specialist credentials for severely handicapped and are assigned to teach within their credential area. A priority of Friendship School is the provision of appropriate instructional materials to learners. Another valuable resource for students is instructional technology. Computers equipped with specialized adapters, switch input devices, an adaptive firmware card, and an IntelliTools keyboard are in each classroom. Remote control devices are used to help students interact with their environment.