Department urges local councils to post special education advisory reports; some districts still missing submissions

Department staff reminded the panel that Revised Statute 17:944 requires local school systems to submit and post an annual special education advisory council report and described the department’s approach to collecting and posting those reports.

Staff said the agency provides a template for local councils and that many districts used it; the department is adding a field this year to capture the number of designated seclusion or restraint rooms. The department said it posts a consolidated list with links where available to help stakeholders find local reports and that some charter schools and a few districts had not yet posted their reports at the time of collection.

Panel members urged stronger follow‑up for noncompliance, suggesting the department send formal letters to districts that did not post reports and request explanations or remedial steps. The department said it had sent repeated reminders and will continue targeted outreach, noting some missing reports came from brand‑new charters that said they would post in the next year. Staff encouraged parents and local stakeholders to engage with councils and to request membership if they want to strengthen accountability.

No formal action was recorded at the meeting on this item. Staff said they will continue outreach, refine the template, include the seclusion/restraint room reporting field, and provide examples of strong local reports to support improvement.