In his final remarks as the last retiring County Superintendent, H. Curtis Elder defined the role of the Beaver Valley Intermediate Unit that in 1971 assumed the responsibilities, not to supervise, but, as Mr. Elder writes, to "provide consultative, advisory, and program services to school districts.""'
Located at first in various offices around the county, the Unit moved to the A&R Complex in Center Township for some years. Presently it is located on Center Grange Road in the former Center Elementary School, where it has sufficient space for offices, library, storage, conference rooms.
On July 1, 197 1, the Beaver Valley Intermediate Unit began its work as a regional service agency serving the fifteen school districts in Beaver County. The Board of Directors of the Beaver Valley Intermediate Unit (BVIU) met first in 1970 and named John P. Milanovich as Executive Director. Dr. Francis W. Matika was appointed Assistant Executive Director. In charge of the Instructional Materials Center was Howard E. Thorne, Program Specialist Director. Working with Mr. Thorne was Edward C. Schaffer, Program Specialist."'
Director Thorne's duties included serving the county schools in the following programs: curriculum activities planning, delivery services, drugs and alcohol education, early childhood education workshops, film library, WQED liaison, graphic arts, microfilming, tape duplicating, and joint purchases.
Program Specialist E. C. Schaffer was responsible for services related to vocational education, in-service counseling, the Student Forum for county student representatives, long range planning, federal and state legislation liaison, needs assessment, the Right to Read program, Youth Traffic Safety Council, Research Information Services for Education (RISE), school workshops for school directors, and statistical data.
A major function of the BVIU is to administer special pupil services; that is, the Unit plays a leading role in the county's education of exceptional children as well as in many other "special" concerns of pupils. Dr. S. Robert Marziano was named Director of Education in the area of Special Pupil Services. From kindergarten through secondary school the exceptional children include the mentally retarded, the elementary and secondary educable mentally retarded students, the trainable and the profoundly mentally retarded, the physically handicapped and the multiple handicapped, the socially and emotionally disturbed students, the learning disabled, the vision-, hearing-, and speech-impaired pupils, the pre-school handicapped. In 1974-1975, under the direction of Dr. Marziano, the Special Pupil Services employed 70 classroom teachers plus 20 itinerant, or "visiting," teachers. Additionally, there were 35 teacher aides in classes for the special students.
At the beginning of the 1974-1975 school year the New Horizon School in Brighton Township opened its doors to house approximately 300 exceptional children of ages 5 to 21 from the fifteen districts in the county. The building was constructed by the Beaver County joint School Board and the Beaver Valley Special School Authority Board after preparation and planning over a period of six years by both the County Board of Education and its successor, the BVIU. The purpose of New Horizon School is to give special pupils the best opportunity to "develop their full potential intellectually, socially, emotionally, physically, and vocationally."
A onc-story structure, New Horizon School has facilities easily accessible to its students. "Twenty-four classrooms are grouped into four major pods in accodance with age levels and/or handicapped conditions." Play areas and multipurpose rooms are adjacent to each pod. The school has all the special rooms and offices to be found in the modern school complexes of the county, as well as therapy rooms and swimming pool. Administrative offices are shared by the supervisor, vocational guidance counselor, psychologists, therapists, and social workers.
A final note in the BVIU Guide and Information
Booklet, published in 1974, suggests some of the difficulties
this special education program faces Special Pupil Services Program
is really at the crossroads in special education. The rapid growth
of the program in a relatively short span of years has precipitated
differences of opinion as to the best placement and method of
educating excep-
tional children. SPS program's philosophy is to provide educational
programs that give each child an opportunity to develop his abilities
at his own rate and to his maximum capability."
Gifted children are also classified as "exceptional" students. Their education is provided in the individual school districts of the county. One program that seems aimed at the gifted students is the Governor's School for the Arts, and that program was under the management of Dr. Marziano in 1974-1975.
He was also responsible for the administration of the professional library of the BVIU, for the education of inmates in the juvenile Detention Home, the Youth Forestry Camp, County jail Program, and the severely physically and mentally handicapped children in the McGuire Memorial Home.
Present officers of the Beaver Valley Intermediate Unit are Dr. Francis W. Matika, executive director; Dr. S. Robert Marziano, assistant executive director; and Thomas Zelesnik, educational specialist.
A total of 246 persons participate in the total delivery system of special education programs and services. Of this total number, 155 are professional employees - special education classroom teachers, therapists, eight psychologists. Others' employed are teacher aides, lunch room aides, bus drivers and bus matrons, and custodial staff.
The Beaver Valley Intermediate Unit has had impact and influence on students, teachers, and all concerned for education in the county. The Unit has integrated its services into the educational systems of the fifteen school districts in the county. In its relatively short existence the Beaver Valley Intermediate Unit has become a greatly rewarding and indispensible part of our county's educational program.