WAYNESBORO Va. (WHSV) - The Pygmalion School will close after 47 years of service to students with developmental and cognitive disabilities.
The Pygmalion School will close on Dec. 15 after the Board of Directors announced there were numerous challenges the institution faced. A statement from the Board of Directors said:
“After 47 years of serving students in our community, it is with great sadness that we announce the closing of Pygmalion School, effective December 15, 2023. Although this is a very difficult decision, after careful consideration of multiple factors, People Places’ Board of Directors feels that it is in the best interest of our students and the agency to end this program. The combination of COVID-19, staffing challenges, facility changes, and a lower-than-expected census have created insurmountable barriers to continuing to operate Pygmalion School. We are grateful to the Pygmalion staff for their dedication to our students and to our school. We will be working closely with staff, referral sources, and families to ensure a successful transition. Thank you in advance for your understanding and support as we move through this process.”
With the closing, Waynesboro Public Schools will hire the staff that works at Pygmalion and continue to offer the same education to the six Waynesboro Public Schools students that currently attend the school.
Dr. Ryan Barber, assistant superintendent of WPS, said the issues persist statewide and the county wanted to make quick progress on these students’ education.
“We knew that we were gonna struggle to find other placements for them. We fought creatively, we dreamed and we were able to do something here in Waynesboro for them so they are able to get the education they deserve,” Barber said. “We also were able to retain the staff at Pygmalion. Those students obviously have relationships with the amazing folks that work there.”
Barber said the school system wanted to ensure every student’s education was inclusive and won’t leave any student behind.
“One of the issues that we have in our community and really around the state is that there are very few slots for students who have pretty significant needs relating to behavior, cognitive ability, and social and emotional regulation,” Barber said.
The students will return to their respective base schools in January. Students from WPS will continue their education with the same instructors they had while at Pygmalion. Barber said this transition will be easier for students, staff and families as they switch institutions.
“That can be stressful,” Barber said. “They are resilient and they would be okay, but they have strong relationships with the staff they worked with at Pygmalion and we really thought it would be in the best interest of the six students to continue their education here in Waynesboro with the staff that they knew.”
Barber said with the new additions to the team, not only will students grow and learn from the education, but other teachers and WPS as a whole will learn from the Pygmalion staff. He said most of them have many certifications and degrees, along with years of experience in the field.
“They make the educational experience for kids better in our community. It broadens the horizons. Our staff learn from the experiences from the staff who are joining our team and we create a partnership. I hope and I know that they are going to learn things from us.” Barber said.
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November 29, 2023 at 06:48AM
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The Pygmalion School set to close after 47 years of service - WHSV
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