Mother cries discrimination
Kim Jolley, a Logan resident, recently accused Edith Bowen Laboratory School of discriminating against her children because some of them required help for special needs. After an initial review, the school was found to have followed its admission standards.
“There are some things that make Edith Bowen unique,” said Kaye Rhees, principal of the school. “It is the only lab school in Utah.
“The children get an opportunity to be taught by enthusiastic university students with fresh ideas who are mentored by great teachers,” she said.
Jolley said, “I have been applying to the school since 1998 and I found out that we are No. 1 on the waiting list.
“I kept thinking, ‘Why aren’t my children getting in?'” she said.
Jolley said she called the school and asked why her children had still not been admitted. She said Susan Wall, school secretary, said it was because Logan City doesn’t want to provide for special needs.
Wall said she told Jolley that was one of the reasons. Not the main reason.
Jolley said one of her three children used to be in a wheelchair and is now walking. Her oldest child has an attention disorder.
“I was honest. I checked the box,” Jolley said. “All my neighbors get in. They just don’t want my kids.”
Rhees said, “We do have families on the waiting lists who never come in. It’s not prejudice. It’s just how it is sometimes. I welcome children with difficulties in learning.”
Francine Johnson, associate dean of teacher education graduation and educator licensure, said she spent Wednesday morning going through Edith Bowen School’s admission records at the request of Craig Peter, president office chief of staff.
She said, “After an initial outside review, it was found out that all the admission policies were followed and there hasn’t been any deviation.”
Johnson said Edith Bowen School has a contract which limits how many students from each school district can come, gender quos and they try to maintain a population of 18 to 20 percent of ethnic students because it’s a lab school and research site. This means a student who is third on the waiting list may be admitted before a student who is first.
“Before Edith Bowen can admit a student with special education needs, they need to meet with the special education coordinator and special education teacher from the child’s school district,” Johnson said.
Rhees said, “EBLS has Special Education services that Cache and Logan school districts provide. We have a resource teacher for half a day and a half-time speech and language pathologist. Anything more would be double dipping
into taxpayers dollars, as all other support is provided in the neighborhood schools. The district employees and special education employees are very generous. We couldn’t function without them.”