For Sailor Jones and Jason Salgado, their first day as freshmen Laguna Beach High Breakers turned out amazing.
Amazing, because a few days ago, both teens who are on the autism spectrum said they had been made to feel like they “weren’t good enough” to attend Laguna Beach High.
Laguna Beach Unified District officials had said they didn’t have the programs or resources at the high school to fit the needs of the two students, and that a team of experts tasked with developing personalized education plans for students who qualify for special education, had made the assessment that the students would be better served attending El Toro High in Lake Forest, part of a California Special Education Local Plan Area. But, their families said the decision was taking their students, who already experience social challenges, away from those they had grown up with and knew.
Last week, about 100 community members showed up at a school board meeting to speak on behalf of Jones and Salgado, asking district officials to “do better” and not to shun their most vulnerable students by displacing them. Both Jones and Salgado would have taken general education classes at the Saddleback Valley Unified School District campus, and two classes would have been modified.
Stuart Jones, Sailor’s father, who had retained legal representation, said the district contacted him and that late on Wednesday, Aug. 21, the day before school was to start, he was sent an acceptable agreement.
District officials said Thursday they could not discuss the specifics of the agreements.
“There is a formal process when disagreements arise regarding student placements,” said Anakaren Ureno, the district spokesperson. “That would have taken place regardless of a public demonstration.”
Already out shopping when the family got word, Stuart Jones said his wife told Sailor then and said she could pick out a new backpack for her first day as a Breaker. “She had been asking all day,” he said. “When we got the final word, she was excited and jumping up and down.”
Karen Arellano, Salgado’s mother, said she was notified during the night and a little after 7 a.m. Thursday, she said she got a call telling her to bring Jason to the high school.
“I was excited and disbelief,” she said Thursday after dropping him off at school.”It’s been such a long battle. I’ve brought this up so many times and did everything possible to put attention on it. I joined every committee, wrote the school board and the district. I didn’t think it would happen.”
At the end of the first day of school, both families raved about how happy their children were. Aides were made available to be with them for the day and will support their needs in a couple of subjects throughout the school year, Stuart Jones said.
Presley Jones, Sailor’s sister, who is starting her senior year and is one of the high school’s standout water polo players, got a jump on sharing the high school experience with her sister, taking her sister with her to a team breakfast to start the first day.
“We drove in my Jeep and we listened to ‘Mama Mia’ songs and had so much fun,” Presley Jones said, adding that at breakfast, Sailor “got to ask all the girls a bunch of questions about (being in) high school.”
At school, both Jones and Salgado were greeted and hugged by friends who knew them from Thurston Middle School.
“Community support made the impact,” Stuart Jones said. “We’ll never be able to repay the people who stood up for Sailor and Jason. It takes a community for something like this to happen. It’s a win-win for everybody.”
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