If a child can’t see correctly, how can they learn at school?
A study by Portland State University revealed that 20% of students have some sort of vision problem. So how does a teacher in the Erie School District truly know if a child’s learning struggle is coming from poor vision if it is not reported?
According to Kerry Roach, the health service supervisor for the Erie School District, the district has discovered many students have visionary issues.
The school district has only been able to send notices home to parents advising them of the child’s poor vision.
“The unfortunate thing is our referral completion rates are pretty low,” Roach said. “The parents don’t have the time or the financial resources to take the children to the specialist. That certainly over the years is where their vision gets worse and worse as they grow. We see the effects on their academic successes and their testing scores.”
The Erie Public Schools Board of Directors agreed to find a company that could provide the screenings and corrective lenses paid for by $80,000 in stimulus money in the budget.