Yes, children are mean, and at the youngest ages.  The handicapped children learn in different ways, but they do learn.  The staff at MKL know what the handicapped students need, as they have been specially trained to work with the disabled students.  The whole MKL experience is different from the typical public school experience.  The other issues are not so obvious to everyone…wheelchair-bound students who need assistance in every way, including toileting.  Handicapped students need an environment that is not intimidating.  At MKL they are known and loved by all the teachers.  The students are treated with dignity, and are accepted just as they are, just the way God made them.  They are given a purpose and reason for living, and they are encouraged to reach their full potential, without having the extra burden of being stared at and called names by children and adults who obviously don’t understand them.

face it kids are mean, the kids/adults from MLK need their own space,,

MKL should have its own center. The handicapped children should not have to share any space unless the school board can prove that there is plenty of room to accomodate the needs of those MKL students as a separate entity from the regular classrooms and students. The school board must prove that services will be equal or better than before any move is made. There should be a way to make it two seperate schools under one roof, before any move. There must not be any mixing of the students in the classrooms (ie handicapped students in regular classes with typical students). The students at MKL are taught differently than are the students from the general population.