District hires third‑party reviewer for special education processes; report expected in spring

Director Hampton told the board the district approved a recommendation to contract a third‑party review of special education processes to evaluate interventions, compliance and training needs.

The consultant team — Technical Assistance for Excellence in Special Education — began work with surveys of staff and parents, followed by a district visit that included school observations and discussions with special education and administrative staff. Director Hampton said the team will return in March for a second visit to review files and interview general‑education teachers, hold additional parent focus groups and convene student focus groups at the middle and high school.

Nut graf: the review aims to identify where the district can strengthen processes, training and legal compliance in special education and to recommend professional development and systemic changes to better serve students with disabilities.

Hampton said parent turnout for initial focus groups was low and the district will do more outreach, including targeted personal invitations to Latinx families. The review team will examine paperwork and processes rather than individual student records for compliance. Hampton said she expects a final report in March to present to the board in April and to use findings to plan staff training and possible program changes.

Board members asked about the special education population. Hampton said the district’s percentage of students identified for special education remains roughly the same (about 17 percent) but the intensity and complexity of needs — including more students with autism and developmental delays — has increased. She said current per‑student costs for some high‑need students can be far above what the district receives in additional funding.

Staff and board discussed state‑level funding proposals under consideration, including raising the special education funding cap and improving high‑cost disability reimbursement; Hampton noted current high‑cost reimbursement returns about $0.40 on each dollar spent.

Ending: staff said the consultant will present recommendations to the board in spring, and that proposed training or program changes could affect fall planning and budgets.