Lawrence Welcomes Special Needs Student Back Home

The Lawrence School District and the Valley Stream Lions Club recently partnered to provide a special needs student with a "special" chair.

Atlantic Beach resident Oliver Miller, who suffers from cerebral palsy, returned to Lawrence schools this summer after attending special education programs outside the district his entire life. Superintendent Gary Schall asked his family if he’d like to attend public schools two years ago. The district provided the chair to him when he started the summer program.

“Somewhere along the line it gets lost that children are from a community,” said Melissa Miller, Oliver’s mother. “We were really missing the school community. It was a natural thing when Gary asked Oliver to come to the district.”

The Valley Stream Lions Club then offered to give $2,995 to pay for the entire cost of the chair. TJ Anand, a board member of the club and a parent of a Lawrence graduate, coordinated the club’s donation to the district.

Schall said the district is looking to bring students back to its schools whenever possible. The district has already saved $360,000 using resources at home, Schall said.

“Oliver has only been here for the summer and he’s thriving,” Miller said. “I can’t thank everyone enough. This was the right move.”