The teachers of Eugene Field School want a new, more accessible facility to house the Unit 5 18- to 22-year-old program.
Eugene Field School in Normal hosts the Unit 5 transitional services program. Students in the program receive individualized educational services focused on independent living skills and finding educational opportunities. Most are Unit 5 students, although a few other McLean County school districts like Heyworth and El Paso send students there as well.
Meet the program
The typical student at Eugene Field spends about two-and-a-half hours in the classroom, with another two hours working parttime jobs at Bloomington-Normal businesses. Jordan Newton, vocational coordinator, said as those in the program get to know each student a little better, the schedule for each student can also flex to better fit their needs and allow for as much independence as there can be.
“I think it's wonderful,” said Jared Short, a student from Normal. “I think that more people should come here, because it's really fun and the teachers are really great.”
Short works two jobs at Bloomington-Normal grocery stores. While in class, Short enjoys his time interacting with several friends he has made at Eugene Field.
“We communicate pretty easily,” said Short. “It's not hard for us, because we like to talk a lot, because we're that type of friend group.”
Short also enjoys the opportunity to learn in class.
“We try to have fun,” said Short. “Like it's learning how to be an adult, but it's like, in a fun way.”
Tierra Jones also likes making friends at Eugene Field. She always looks forward to outings, where students can do activities outside the school, like going to a local park for some exercise. At work, she can be found keeping track of items on the shelves at Walgreens. It is a job she enjoys, except when she has to update expiration dates on certain perishable items.
Reznor Smith likes outings as well. He very much enjoyed a trip to a Bloomington Bison Hockey game, as well as trips to go out to eat. He said does not like trips to Walmart, where students learn how to practice budgeting. He works at a pet supply store in Normal, and while in class, he said he loves to learn.
Ninos McDermott, of Heyworth, is also a student at Eugene Field. Of all the things to do at school, his favorite is dancing. He also enjoys playing basketball with other students. On the work side of his schedule, he has been spending the year at a local nursing home.
Students also have opportunities to learn career skills while on the school campus. Earlier in the school year, a community member visited to teach how to use construction tools and helped students build Adirondack chairs and birdhouses. Early in May, students took part in a plant sale to support their program.
School facilities
Eugene Field School was an elementary school until 2009, where it was briefly repurposed to an administration building for special education. Since 2013, it has been home to the transitional services program.
The oldest part of the building, dating back to 1935, is on the south side of the building. Several staircases lead to an upstairs and downstairs set of classrooms, but it makes this half the building inaccessible to wheelchair users in the program.
“We try to program in such a way that we are including, but the only part that really is wheelchair accessible is the lower half of the building,” said Marissa Frietsch, special education teacher.
Renovations to this portion of the building have been deemed a non-starter by Unit 5 administration. Asbestos that would be stirred up by any accessibility changes, a boiler that can’t keep the building heated in the winter and plumbing problems are among the main issues. The building also has only one wheelchair-accessible restroom.
“We can go on and on and on, but at some point the physical building is not going to last,” said Frietsch.
Frietsch and several teachers and parents echoed similar sentiments during a school board meeting in April, where Unit 5 approved a solution to the district’s enrollment study. Eugene Field was designated then as a building set for closure and sale for the 2029-30 school year.
“These hard-working young adults with disabilities deserve better than asbestos and old lead paint falling from the ceilings,” said Medan Mosier, a speech language pathologist at Eugene Field. “They deserve better than a building that is not accessible to students who use wheelchairs or struggle with independent ambulation. They deserve better than having to wear their coat inside in the winter because the boiler won't start.”
While the school district has set its sights on closure for Eugene Field school, what is not clear yet is whether a new or existing space will be used in its stead. Estimated costs for the next facility are between $3.5-$6.5 million. If a renovation-ready space is found, it could push the move to an earlier date than 2029-30. The district's enrollment study gave consideration for use of Glenn Elementary for that purpose, but public support was not there and that move was omitted from a final recommendation.
“We're just hoping for something that's going to continue to serve our student population and let us grow,” said Frietsch.
The school has a wide array of different rooms for career and independent living skills. Students use a direct-to-film [DTF] printer for printing on t-shirts. They also have copying machines, Canva to design posters, break rooms to take laps, a kitchen area to wash dishes, an apartment-like classroom and a gymnasium, among other amenities and areas at their disposal.
