Second hearing on potential DHS move to Onaway Schools scheduled
There will be a second community forum conducted on Wednesday at 6 p.m. in the Onaway Schools Media Center to continue exploring the possibility of moving the Presque Isle County Department of Human Services office into the Onaway Schools.
An initial public hearing was conducted prior to the July 10 Onaway Area Community Schools Board of Education meeting. It was attended by about a half dozen people, including four people who are opposed to the proposal.
?One of the most vocal concerns I?ve heard form our community is the concern over security with the potential of co-mingling of DHS clients and our students,? said superintendent Bob Szymoniak, ?and over the past week we?ve come up with a resolution.?
One of the changes to the current proposal would be to add a new entrance door that would go directly into the DHS office from the parking lot. The location of the DHS would be between the Media Center and the high school office.
?The DHS clients would not be in the building at all,? Szymoniak added. ?They would go from the parking lot right into the DHS office.?
ACCORDING TO a school press release, the Onaway Schools is interested in this move for two reasons:
? The No Child Left Behind federal law mandates that every child be proficient on the state?s tests within the next decade.
?Well over half the children who attend the Onaway schools and their families qualify for some form of assistance,? said Szymoniak. ?Having the DHS office in the school will help to ensure that those in need get the help they require so our children can come to
? Having the DHS office in the school could potentially open the door for more grants and other financial opportunities.
?It was because of our good relationship with DHS that we were able to get the Before/After School grant,? said Szymoniak.
Representatives from DHS will be at this community forum, including Linda Schmidt from Lansing, who will explain how other schools have accommodated DHS offices, and discuss the pros and cons of such an arrangement. In addition, Doug McCombs, the regional DHS director will be on hand to answer specific questions.
Dialogue continues between the school and DHS officials as to how this arrangement could work.