The Wood County Special Education Co-op in Quitman has provided shared services for children with disabilities aged 3-21 in Mineola, Quitman, Alba-Golden, Yantis, and Hawkins school districts for over 50 years and is undergoing tremendous growth.

In response to the growth the management board has recently enlisted the help of the Thompson Architectural Group to conduct a comprehensive facility study and the Paladin Solutions & Freedom Defense Team to conduct a security and safety assessment of both facilities.  

The results of both studies were presented at an unprecedented meeting in May in Quitman attended by the superintendents, school board members, business managers and community members from each district. 

To continue the ability to serve these students and anticipating continued growth, the management board has approved the purchase of a new portable classroom building to help alleviate the facilities concerns and approved many security and safety measures to be implemented.  

The co-op has two multi-district buildings located in Quitman that serve students from all five districts. 

One serves about 86 medically fragile, autistic and life skills students, and the Behavior Building serves students who need additional behavior support beyond the scope that campuses can provide.

Director Dr. Tammy Willis said the biggest challenge that the co-op is experiencing is the 74% growth that has occurred over the past eight years.

“We have grown so fast over the past eight years, and it has been very difficult to keep up with this growth with our current staff and facilities,” she said.

Much of this growth is a result of a 2016 Houston Chronicle article that prompted an investigation into the 2004 Texas Education Agency ruling to cap the number of students receiving special education services to 8.5 % which was subsequently removed in 2018. The growth can also be attributed to residual effects of COVID for younger children.

The co-op runs its own fleet of 12 buses that transport these students to and from these multi district buildings in all five districts.

“The current buildings will also receive needed updates and repairs over the summer,” she said. “The new classroom building will provide a more conducive learning environment for the students needing behavior support and the current building will be remodeled and provide space for our much-needed transition and vocational program which teaches students with disabilities ages 18-21 to learn to live independently and obtain meaningful employment after graduation.”

The co-op was also the recent beneficiary of the United Methodist Army, a group of youth volunteers.

Willis said, “The UM Army adopted the co-op as a community missions service project and spent a week helping with projects such as painting and repairing ramps, painting classroom walls, power washing playground equipment and various other projects.”

The co-op Management Board is comprised of the superintendents from each district, the director of special education and the Mineola ISD business manager who meet monthly to review the budget and discuss the special education program and services provided to each district. 

The co-op employees about 55 staff which include the director of special education and the assistant director of special education, educational diagnosticians, school psychologists, counselors, speech and language pathologists, life skills teachers, and paraprofessionals, physical and occupational therapists, orientation and mobility specialists, vision instructors, and bus drivers.