Dakota Bland: Kicked Off the Waitlist

“There goes our spot,” Cheyenne Rutland of Terry thought as she tossed the letter from the Mississippi Department of Education (MDE) to the side of her desk.

Like many families, Rutland’s son, Dakota Bland, has been waiting for an Education Scholarship Account (ESA) for over two years. Unfortunately, Dakota was kicked off the ESA waitlist after a new requirement was enacted in September of this year, which compels families to demonstrate to the Department of Education that they have been accepted into an eligible school to remain on the ESA waitlist.

Cheyenne has been researching for months to find a spot for her non-verbal son, who was diagnosed with level three autism and, more recently, was diagnosed with an extremely rare neurological disorder.

“It’s been a struggle finding resources,” Cheyenne said.

Early Years

Cheyenne noticed that something was different with Dakota when he was about 18 months old.

“He was delayed in crawling,” she said, “but I just thought, ‘Well, some babies don’t crawl,’ so I didn’t think too much about it then.”

When Dakota did not walk it became a concern.

“He wasn’t talking, and by that point, he was becoming delayed with every milestone,” Cheyenne said.  “We saw his pediatrician, who recommended that we immediately get him into speech therapy.”

After nine months of intensive therapy, Dakota was not making progress.

“His speech therapist’s report back to the doctor was that he was not progressing, which was when we were referred to the CAY (Center for the Advancement of Youth) Clinic.”

It was at the CAY Clinic where Dakota was diagnosed with level three autism.

The New Normal

Cheyenne and Dakota’s father, Baron Bland, adjusted to the new normal of parenting a child with special needs.

“Dakota’s dad is very supportive and very involved, and he knows what I go through trying to find the things that Dakota needs because he deserves it just like any other child.

“Dakota is a happy, giggly little boy.  He’s very energetic and loves to wander and jump.  I want him to live a happy life.  That’s all I want for him.”

While Cheyenne continues the fight for her son, she described it, at times, as “isolating”.

“Any time you have a child with special needs, life looks a little different. We spend a lot of time at home because that’s where Dakota is most comfortable.  He can soothe himself at home.  Thankfully, family is understanding of that, but it can be isolating.  Our life really does consist of going to therapy and finding resources.”

Searching for Schools

Through her research, Cheyenne found a specialized school, The Reading Nook Academy in Brookhaven, that Dakota attended last year.  The Reading Nook Academy is a private school focused on students with dyslexia and other learning disabilities.

“Dakota spent half a year there before I was called in for a meeting,” Cheyenne said.

School officials told her that Dakota had something more going on.

“I thought they just didn’t know how to deal with him, but it turns out they were right.  That’s when we found the neurological disorder through testing with a pediatric neurologist.”

Dakota was dismissed from the Reading Nook Academy.

“I was at a loss,” said Cheyenne.  “I was trying to process that and look for other places for Dakota.”

Cheyenne came upon the Little Light House, which is a Development Center for children with special needs.

“I’m hoping that it will work for Dakota.  He will start at the Little Light House in January,” Cheyenne said, “but I’ve learned not to put too much hope out there.”

Applying for the ESA

While Dakota was enrolled at the Reading Nook Academy, Cheyenne was researching additional resources for kids with special needs and came upon the state’s special needs ESA program.

“I had no idea the ESA even existed,” she said.

One of the requirements to be eligible for an ESA is that the child must have an IEP (Individualized Education Plan) from their assigned public school.

“I went to the Hinds County School District to get the IEP,” Cheyenne said.  “One of the first questions they asked me when I contacted them was if I planned to put Dakota with them in their school district.  When I told them that I was looking at a specialized private school for him, they seemed very unconcerned about Dakota and gave him the bare minimum on his IEP.”

Cheyenne added that entering the IEP meeting at her assigned public school was an intimidating experience as a parent.

“I just took what they told me and went along with it,” she said, “but as I’ve heard from other special needs parents, I now know that I don’t have to just accept what they offer.  They only gave Dakota 30 minutes of education once a week.  That did not sit well with me. How is he supposed to learn?”

Dakota’s IEP says that he will be served by the school with in-person instruction one time a week for 30 minutes until he can sit at a table.

“That’s not ever going to help him,” Cheyenne said.  “He has a neurological disorder, and to get him to sit at a table is not going to happen.  

“The public schools aren’t taking our children. They don’t want to educate them.”

Cheyenne applied for the ESA, over two years ago now, and was waitlisted.

“We were number 114 on the list,” she said.  “We’ve been waiting over two years, and it’s just another example of not putting too much hope out there because you only get disappointed.”

That hope was lost when Cheyenne found out that Dakota had been kicked off the waitlist.

“There was comfort knowing when I found a place for Dakota that there was a resource to help navigate the unexpected costs for his needs so he is able to thrive and reach his fullest potential, but now that’s been taken away.”

Uncertain Future

Cheyenne continues to push forward for her son.

“Our children and their families deserve it,” she said. “There are so many children who need resources and can benefit from the ESA, and the only ones holding them back are those who make the decisions about this program. Maybe they need to meet these kids in person to see who they are making decisions about.”

Click here to learn more about the ESA waitlist.