And this evening he ll host a public forum on education at Hailmann Elementary School. O Bannon s most recent school visits have focused on getting children ready for the classroom. He said the Park School project is one that clearly works for the LaPorte area. More than 175 children are enrolled in the pre-school and Kindermates programs. Parents fees pay for two of the programs, said Mira Gasko, the elementary coordinator for special education programs for the South LaPorte County Special Education Cooperative.
Funds designated for special education services pay for the special education pre-school.
The programs offered at Park School benefit the children as well as the parents because the kids receive enriching education and the parents have a safe, rewarding place to leave their children during the whole work day, Gasko said. The opportunity that special education children and regular students have to study and play together is another plus for them all, she said.