Elliana Leone spoke up for herself as a Fredonia student with special needs stemming from the condition of Spina Bifida. She was joined by several adults to also speak on her behalf, including her mother, Kristi Leone. Elliana spoke first, introducing herself as a third grade student in Emily Thies’ class.

“I was born with Spina Bifida. Moving around can be a little bit more challenging for people with Spina Bifida, which is why accessibility is very important to me,” Elliana said.

She then spoke about the areas of the school that are not accessible for all students.

“I was very excited to start this school year, but even more excited when I heard about the playground update, because I love to play with my friends,” Elliana said, referring to the upgraded playground at the main campus. “My mom has been asking for an accessible playground since I was three, and now I’m 8. That’s five whole years ago.”

Kristi Leone, a Fredonia resident and parent, spoke to the Fredonia Board of Education about the needs of her daughter, Elliana, with the condition of Spina Bifida.

Elliana said she was looking forward to finally having a playground that she could enjoy with her wheelchair braces and crutches on. Instead, she was “very disappointed” to learn that only a portion of the playground was resurfaced with new material, while the majority of the playground remained as it was.

Elliana expressed frustration with the playground’s wood chips because she wants to keep up with her friends, but struggles to do so because of the surface.

Without being able to use her wheelchair on the wood chips, Elliana said she has no other choice but to crawl on the ground, wearing gloves to protect her hands and an extra pair of pants to protect her legs as she crawls to play alongside her friends.

“I have to be really careful that I don’t hurt my legs or feet because I might not feel it,” Elliana said. She added that wood chips cause harm to not only her, but other students, as well, including cuts and splinters. A rubberized surface provides a much softer landing for any kids who fall.

“Having an accessible playground would be better for everyone,” Elliana said.

Her comments were met with a loud applause from the audience, district administrators, and the Board of Education. Letters of support from Elliana’s classmates were also submitted for the record.

Several other speakers addressed the Board on the matter, including district parents and school nurses. Among them was Kristi Leone, Elliana’s mother.

“I know that these are tough conversations to have, and I know that when it comes to our budget, times are tough,” said Kristi Leone, acknowledging that the latest school budget was initially voted down by district voters. “… but we’ve had 35 years of school budgets that have been passed since 1988 – and that’s 35 years of school budgets that have not addressed these issues. Now is the time to do it.”

Kristi Leone met with Zilliox, Special Education Director Kristen Ferro, and Elementary Principal Mark Drollinger at the start of the school year regarding some of the concerns pertaining to Elliana’s needs. Zilliox acknowledged that while the district is “absolutely committed” to making its facilities as accessible as possible, the process is still “a work in progress.”

“We want all of our students’ needs to be met over the course of their PK-12 experience with us,” Zilliox stated. “We are examining our current state and then what alternatives or options are available to us.”

Zilliox said he often sees Elliana smiling during his morning laps around the school, and credited her for participating alongside all of her classmates no matter the activity.

But just because Elliana is able to participate or have her needs met does not mean that enough has been done to support her, or many other students who need – and deserve – special accommodations.

Board President Steve Johnston said the district will need to “think outside the box” to address some of the district’s needs following Propositions 2 and 3 of the Capital Project being voted down a year ago. The district is working with architects from Young and Wright to address some of the areas of concern regarding accessibility throughout the district.

Among the areas of concern include small, compact nurses offices, the middle/high school science labs, the district pool, and two focuses of the Capital Project that was voted down a year ago: athletic facilities and the middle/high school chorus rooms.

April Hartung, a Fredonia music teacher since 2003, spoke to the challenges of even getting Elliana’s wheelchair in the chorus room. Hartung noted that several students will sit with Elliana in the back of the room to make her feel more included. The setting, however, is challenging, especially in the case of an emergency – not only because of the cramped space, but also because of the use of stairs that present a challenge for many students, not just Elliana.

Additionally, the bathroom in the nurse’s area of the elementary school is under existing building codes and has not been upgraded. The district does have fully accessible bathrooms in the newer wing of the elementary school that houses Grades 2-4, as well as the middle/high school nurse’s office.

Zilliox told the OBSERVER, “We are struggling with the expense it would require to totally rebuild these facilities without the aid of a capital project.” He stated that a Capital Outlay project would not be enough to address the issues, and called it “more of a band-aid than a solution.”

The two playgrounds that will be replaced at the Wheelock campus total slightly more than $1 million worth of work, which was included in Proposition 1 of the Capital Project that was approved a year ago. Regarding the main campus playground, which was immediately addressed with a Capital Outlay project, the district expects to have more discussion in the coming months. Zilliox stated that another Capital Outlay project regarding the main campus playground would also be “more of a band-aid than a solution.”

Megan Narraway spoke on behalf of the school’s nursing department as the final speaker from the public in the evening. She concluded her statement by saying, “I know, Fredonia, we can do better. I know we can, and we need to for these kids.”

Districtwide, Fredonia recognized Oct. 25 as World Spina Bifida Day by wearing teal and yellow in support. The district is also in the process of scheduling a guest speaker to speak about the challenges that disabled people deal with. Several books focused on inclusivity are set to be purchased for the school library, as well.

The Board of Education and multiple administrators thanked Elliana Leone and the other speakers for their comments at the recent meeting.