The district then allowed E to see a social worker, first online and then in-person while on school premises. It was working, and they asked for E to return to school. It was a different building, Femrite said, with no trauma attached to it, which helped E ease into it.
“In February 2026, she started art class with her grade level,” Femrite said. “She would go to art class once a week, that was going pretty well. She went from the previous grade being frozen, not wanting to go into the classroom, to now she’s entering the classroom. Building a relationship with the social worker, talking to other kids again—she’s participating.
“This is huge to us—really big progress for her.”
‘I’m ready’
By the end of last school year, E was attending school in-person two days a week, Femrite said. In the last two weeks of school, they requested she spend more time in the specialized education room, and their request was denied.
“We had a child saying she wanted to go back to school, saying ‘I’m ready,’” Femrite said. “Within the last two weeks of school, they denied us more time. Last week of school, they cut us off completely.”