Three years ago, 6-year-old Carl Alford suffered severe sepsis, a life-threatening condition that damages vital organs. His mother, Catherine Clark, never left his side.
“He came home with a breathing tube, a breathing machine and a feeding tube,” she said. “He had multiple amputations and wasn’t able to walk over the course of the year.”
Nonetheless, Carl recovered. He’s one of roughly 61 students with a disability who attend Stephen Foster Elementary, one of three elementary schools that may close as a result of the Alachua County Public Schools rezoning plan.
For Carl, the prospect of changing schools is a daunting one.
“I'm going to have to do this all over again,” he said, “like, everybody asking me about my braces and how my feet look.”
Carl and his mother live half a mile away from Stephen Foster Elementary, which Clark said is by design.
“I think all parents of special needs kids… do things very intentionally to streamline as much of our lives as possible,” she said. “When I decided to purchase my house, I purchased it due to the proximity to school.”
If Stephen Foster Elementary were to close, Carl would have to attend Rawlings Elementary, a school 1.8 miles away from where he and his mother live. It’s also an additional 1.8 miles away from where Clark works, which she said makes her worry about her ability to maintain her job.
“Being able to get him to school and being able to get to work on time allows me to be gainfully employed,” she said. “As a single mom, it's very important to be able to maintain my own income to pay for the things that we need in our life.”
Additionally, Carl and his mother live too close to Rawlings Elementary for Carl to ride the bus. Students must live at least two miles away from the school they attend to qualify for transportation, according to Florida Statutes.
Ultimately, Clark’s main concern for Carl is his losing the support system he’s acclimated to at Stephen Foster Elementary.
“The new people will do their best to follow what's outlined in the paper the best they can, but they've never met Carl before,” she said. “We lose when we lose Foster.”
The Alachua County School Board will hold a special meeting March 12 at 6 p.m. to vote on the final maps and take public comment.