Now-closed schools for disabled children never returned to staffing levels to reopen, commissioner says
Erika McGuire
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
Delmar Cobble School in Columbia is now permanently closed after struggling to reach staffing levels, part of a broader statewide consolidation of schools for students with severe disabilities.
The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education Board las week decided close six buildings that were already “temporarily consolidated due to staff vacancies,” immediately, which includes: Delmar Cobble, Briarwood (Harrisonville), Lakeview Woods (Lee’s Summit), Gateway/Hubert Wheeler (St. Louis), Rolling Meadow (Higginsville) and Ozark Hills (Salem). Another six schools will close at the end of the school year.
Mark Wheatley, assistant commissioner for the office of special education, said those schools never recovered from staffing shortages after temporary shutdowns were announced.
“Delmar was one of which had temporarily closed, dated between October of 2023 to as late as March 2025,” Wheatley said. “Those six buildings never got up to a staffing level that allowed us to return to those buildings. Those positions continued to be posted up until the recommendation, that was approved by the board just last week,”
When Delmar Cobble went into emergency consolidation, Wheatley said the school was serving eight students and about 10 or fewer staff members. He said about half of the students went to H. Kenneth Kirchner School in Jefferson City and the other four students went to Prairie View School in Marshall.
Wheatley said enrollment has dropped 30% during the past 15 years. With so few students, staffing for each building was a challenge.
Out of all Missouri Schools for the Severely Disabled, buildings were short staffed by 28%.
“The schools that are closing the student population is anywhere from about four up to 16, (students) so when you think about that we wouldn’t have had a full-time PE teacher. We wouldn’t have had a full time principal,” Wheatley said. “We may or may not have even had a full time nurse in a building with four students, they would have probably had to be split between two buildings,”
According to Wheatley, families and Individualized Education Program team were able to consider three options moving forward.
“One would be that they remain with MSD, but elect to transfer to one of the other more regional local schools within MSE. No. 2, they could actually return to the local education agency or that local public school district they are from. The third option, that’s available is that a school district can also elect to contact with an approved private agency to provide those educational services,” Wheatley said.
Parent Tammy Luttrell said her daughter went to Delmar Cobble from the age of 5 years old until she was 21. She enrolled her there after her daughter developed seizures and fell behind in learning. Luttrell sais her daughter’s original public school told her they couldn’t offer the support she needed.
Luttrell said Delmar Cobble helped her daughter in many ways.
“It’s great, they can give the kids a lot of one a one which is what a lot of these people need,” Luttrell said. “They did great with her, They took her as far as she absolutely could go. Even at her age now, she’s still sort of like picking up on things, she’s mute, they taught her some sign language there.
“They taught her so much it was great, and the teachers cared. I just worry about these other kids that are coming now in age because I don’t think she public schools are going to be able to give them the attention they need and the direction they need,”
“At one point they talked about putting my daughter back in public school and the special education teacher then said, no, I don’t have the knowledge to teach her. She just point blank said it takes special knowledge,” Luttrell said.
However, Wheatley says public schools often help disabled children thrive.
“Research tells us that students with disabilities, and even those with extensive support needs, like those served at MSD, benefit and have better outcomes when they are receiving their education alongside their non-disabled peers to the greatest extent appropriate,” Wheatley said.
Once all 12 planned closures are complete, there will be 22 operation schools for disabled children across the state.