Allegan Area Educational Service Agency - Development Center Becomes Hillside Learning and Behavior Center

Development Center Becomes Hillside Learning and Behavior Center

Allegan - The Allegan County Development Center has a new name. Approved by the Allegan Area Educational Service Center (previously the Allegan County ISD) School Board at their November 20, 2006 board meeting, the center is now called the HILLSIDE LEARNING AND BEHAVIOR CENTER.

“This new name reflects who and what we are”, explains Robin Melvin, Hillside Principal. “We are a school that serves quite a different student population than when we started 30 years ago.”

The Hillside Center serves special needs students, ages 2-1/2 to 26 years of age, from the districts of Allegan, Fennville, Glenn, Hopkins, Martin, Otsego, Plainwell and Wayland, they also provide services to students from Discovery and the Outlook Academy. Hillside Center currently has approximately 140 students and offers both a Cognitive/Physically Impaired program and an Emotionally Impaired program for students. Presently, because of over crowding at the center, the Emotionally Impaired program is housed in Martin Public Schools.

“The students we serve are quite diverse in their needs and abilities,” continues Melvin. “Our new name reflects the progressive approach of our staff and our programs to the education of our students, an approach that has expanded over the years and is solidly based on current, progressive teaching techniques, research and experience. “

“As we look towards the future, this name reflects not only what we are today and our approach to educating these students”, states Ron Fuller, AAESA Superintendent, “but it also reflects an ever-changing educational environment and what we will need to become to successfully serve the needs of these students in the future.”

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