““We have more students who are coming to school who are not potty-trained.”
Marie Wiles was blunt about the increasingly basic needs of her pupils. She has served as superintendent of the Guilderland Central Schools, a suburb of Albany, for 14 years.
“It’s a big discussion. Toileting needs are a part of the conversation now along with managing behaviors. It’s generally taking students longer to learn school behaviors. It’s a reality of our day to day. It’s everywhere, not just here,” she said.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, educators from urban, suburban and rural school districts tell Capital Tonight that the array and depth of student needs have increased substantially.
“Our students have greater needs, and our costs are greater than they used to be,” according to David Little, executive director of the Rural Schools Association.”