Lauren Washington: A Hopeless Fight for an ESA

“If we could get an ESA, it would change our lives. It would mean that we were seen and understood.”

Like many other Mississippi children with special needs, Anequa Robinson’s daughter Lauren had been waiting for an Education Scholarship Account (ESA). An ESA allows families to use a portion of their state tax dollars to place their child into an education setting that best meets their individual needs.

Anequa learned of the ESA through a social media group specifically for parents of children with autism. She quickly applied, and Lauren was placed on the waitlist, where she remained for over a year.

Kicked Off the Waitlist

Unfortunately, the wait has ended for Lauren, but the outcome is not a happy one. Lauren was kicked off the ESA waitlist in September. Why was she kicked off? A new requirement was placed on those applying for an ESA, which demands that students must document that they have been accepted to an eligible school before they even receive the ESA. The problem, of course, is that some families, like Lauren’s family, cannot afford to pay tuition to the school they wish to attend without the ESA. In fact, that’s why they applied for the ESA in the first place. This new requirement creates a catch-22 situation for those families, and students like Lauren are punished as a result.

Life is hard enough for their family, and when Anequa received word that Lauren had been kicked off the waitlist she was devastated.

“I cried that day when I got the letter saying we were kicked off the waitlist,” Anequa said, “because Lauren won’t get the opportunity she deserves. It’s a hopeless, continuous fight full of hurdles for our kids.”

Lauren was diagnosed with autism at age four. Anequa knew that something wasn’t right because her daughter’s speech began regressing.

“They did testing at JPS when we lived in Jackson, and we saw a developmental delay,” Anequa said. “When we got the autism diagnosis, it was very hard. They hand you this diagnosis, and then you are on your own. You don’t know about any resources.”

Trying to Find a School

Anequa didn’t believe that the school was going to be a good fit for Lauren, so they moved to nearby Ridgeland, where she enrolled Lauren in the Madison Preschool.

“She did great,” Anequa said, “and she began saying words and numbers.”

Anequa saw that in the right setting, Lauren could do well. While Lauren was at the Madison Preschool, Anequa identified two education options that would work for her as she entered kindergarten.

“We were looking at Magnolia Speech School and The Canopy School,” she said. “We liked the fact that Lauren could go to Magnolia Speech School and get what she needed and then transition into a general education classroom, and at The Canopy School we liked that she would be able to work independently. Lauren needs interaction with typical children so that she can learn from their behavior.”

Both options seemed like a good fit for Lauren, but, sadly, they were financially out of reach for the family.

When the time came for Lauren to go to kindergarten, Anequa and Lauren’s father, Jalah Washington, moved to Pearl. Lauren was placed in a self-contained special education classroom at Northside Elementary School in Pearl. Anequa was incredibly disappointed.

“It’s heartbreaking because you want what’s best for your child. You want them to thrive, but the world is not set up for our kids to thrive,” she said.

Lauren is in a classroom with about 10 other classmates, and, according to Anequa, she isn’t learning.

“She’s doing OK in that class, but she doesn’t get a lot of learning time,” she said. “Lauren does not have behavioral issues like some of her classmates, but she doesn’t get to leave the classroom. She doesn’t get to go to music or P.E. She doesn’t get a lot of time with typical kids which is helpful to Lauren because she learns behavior traits from other kids.”

Anequa and Jalah feel as though their hands have been tied when it comes to educating their daughter.

“We want what is best for our daughter. She should have the opportunity to get an education, but we can’t get that for her. We were willing to make the sacrifice to drive to those schools we found because they were what was right for her, but we can’t afford the commute and the tuition.

“I’ve been trying to move back to Ridgeland to see if that might be a better place in the Madison County Schools for Lauren, but it just comes down to finances,” Anequa said.

Anequa is doing the best she can with what she has. She’s commuting to and from therapies while working in her car to be sure that Lauren gets what she needs.

“I also don’t think she’s getting the therapy she’s supposed to be getting at school,” Anequa said.

Hope Is Lost

As they scrape by to provide therapy and the necessities for Lauren, some of the luxuries have had to go.

“Lauren loves music,” Anequa smiled. “She was in piano for a little while, but we just couldn’t afford it anymore. The same thing with dance. I want to find things she can be a part of because she is not getting those opportunities at school, but they are expensive.

“Lauren should have those same experiences that other students get to have. She doesn’t get to go on field trips or do any of that because she’s in the self-contained classroom. I’ve volunteered to come help so that they can go on field trips, but it never happens. We are in 2024, and our children should be included and not isolated.”

Hope is lost for Lauren. Without the help of an ESA, Anequa and Jalah cannot get Lauren into a better education setting.

“That enrollment letter stipulation was not there when we first applied a little over a year ago,” Anequa said. “I don’t understand why it’s on there now, and because of that Lauren has had to pay the price.”

Click here to learn more about the ESA waitlist.