Regional co-op serving deaf students to dissolve

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Updated: August 4, 2011 4:20PM

A cooperative that serves Cook and Lake County public school students ages 3 to 21 who are deaf or hard of hearing is dissolving because fewer students need it, and will be absorbed by one of its member consortiums.

Officials of the Low Incident Cooperative Agreement, known as LICA, say it can no longer meet its mission of delivering high-quality services to its students and districts.

“Enrollment has declined over the last seven years, and projections five years out anticipate very low numbers in the LICA classroom programs,” LICA Executive Director Becki Streit stated.

“In addition, historical sources of revenue have eroded to the point that a much larger share of the program and administrative costs are being borne by our districts.”

Forty-four north and northwest suburban school districts, including Glenview’s, are members of LICA through the Northern Suburban Special Education District, Northwest Suburban Special Education Organization, Maine Township Special Education Program, Niles Township District for Special Education and Woodford County Special Education Association, along with Evanston-Skokie District 65.

It provides diagnostic services, classroom instruction, itinerant support and other services to the member districts’ schools and their students and families.

LICA’s current budget is $5.3 million. The cooperative had held costs in check by cutting staff.

But enrollment, currently at 70, is projected to drop to 30 by 2015-16.

The dissolution is expected to be complete by June 2012.