District launches special-education review; consultant to hold open office hours, report expected in December

The Board of Education received an update Sept. 22 on an externally facilitated special-education review the district commissioned. Superintendent Dr. McHugh said the consultant, Dr. Leanne Frost, held an initial set of open office hours at 5 p.m. to gather parent and staff input and that additional sessions, including interpreted sessions, are planned. McHugh described the sessions as flexible listening opportunities rather than fixed-length presentations: “The reason that they're called office hours is it's not a set come in and talk for 30 minutes. Because what doctor Frost is really doing is gathering a group of parents, hearing from them, being able to really sift through questions.” He said the consultant will present a full report to the board in December. Board members welcomed the opportunity for a robust picture of special‑education services; one member urged that regular audits and reviews lead to continuous improvement. The superintendent noted details about how to find session times and virtual options on the district website’s special-education review block under news.