Any morning before school, the parking lot outside Hungerford School provides a dramatic introduction to this remarkable place.
Students arrive by ambulances, handicap-equipped buses and vans, and private cars.
Nurses and physical therapists join the teachers and paraprofessionals who make their way inside to serve Hungerford's special needs students, many of whom are classified as medically fragile and severely to profoundly retarded. At Hungerford, these special students have attracted a special staff. Faculty turnover is low, but when new teachers are hired, they often have previously been paraprofessionals in the school. Staff voluntarily give up six Saturdays a year to learn about topics of their choosing, from CPR, to new educational technology, to special arts programming. Food is provided for everyone, and the men do the cooking.