Original Research by School Decision on Bi-county Sp Ed Preschool Program
This school closed and so has no current operations. What follows is a record of what it was.
Bi-County Special Education Cooperative operated a preschool program for students with individualized education plans (IEPs), located in Sterling, Illinois. The program served students in the preschool age band through a cooperative arrangement across county lines, as its name suggests. It was a specialized, not a mainstream, school setting.
The data available about the program is thin. Enrollment figures, demographics, free-and-reduced-price-lunch rates, and staffing counts are not in the record, so a full picture of the student population and program scale cannot be drawn. State academic testing data do not apply to preschool-age children, so no achievement or proficiency results exist. The school had no graduation rate because it served preschool grades only.
What is known is institutional: the program was part of a multi-county special education cooperative governed by a lead district identified as Bi-County Special Education Cooperative. Such cooperatives pool special education resources across district boundaries to serve students who require intensive or specialized programming. Preschool special education programs typically focus on early intervention and developmental support for young children with identified disabilities or developmental delays, often in smaller, more structured settings than general-education preschools.
The program's location in Sterling, a small city anchored by manufacturing and regional retail, places it in a place with modest home values and steady local employment. Sterling itself is in the middle of a substantial riverfront redevelopment push, though the growth centers on downtown and riverfront sites rather than school facilities.
The program is no longer in operation. Parents or educators seeking similar services would need to contact the Bi-County Special Education Cooperative directly or reach out to Sterling Community Unit School District 5 to learn what preschool special education programs currently serve the area.
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