Austintown Elementary School made a decision to eliminate it's lighthouse program.

The Lighthouse Program is a specialized classroom for students who are diagnosed with things such as autism and ADHD. Now that the school decided to eliminate the program, the seven students involved in Lighthouse will need to transition to the normal classroom. 

When asked about why the school decided to make the change, Timothy Kelty, Austintown Schools Superintendent, said " After careful evaluation and consideration of our current programs, the ALSD [Austintown Local School District] is making adjustments to better support the growing and diverse needs of our students."

When parents heard the news, they were worried about their children transitioning to the traditional classrooms. 

"My concerns are the forced inclusion. My daughter is not at that point and I know a lot of other kids are not at that point," said Stephanie Brooke, a mother to a 6 year old in the Lighthouse program.

Danielle Punetl, another concerned parent, was worried that taking her child out of the class will cause her 6 year old to "regress into not speaking at all and not verbalizing things."

Officials at Austintown Schools say the change is actually to benefit the children, and will help them feel included. 

Nationally recognized advocate Hannah Grieco said inclusion is often the best option, as long as the school is willing to help students in the classroom.

"When General Education Teachers Are Supported In That Way, Inclusion Works, It’s Beautiful. Research Shows That Test Scores Stay The Same Or Go Up Across The Board Because When Teachers Are Able To Individualize For Some Learners, They Are Actually Able To Individualize For All Learners Better." said Grieco. 

Grieco also said students thrive when they learn that everyone has unique differences, as long as there is enough stuff to manage everyone's needs.

Parents met with Austintown officials to discuss their concerns about the school cutting the program. The school is still planning to move forward, and eliminate the program in the Elementary school. 

The Lighthouse Program is not being eliminated in the Middle or High School.