Parent voices concern about special‑education staffing as district approves sole‑source licenses for special‑education materials

A South Colonie parent and district teacher told the school board Aug. 26 she fears that students leaving intensive residential treatment programs will lose critical supports because of staff shortages; the board later authorized additional sole‑source licenses for materials used in special‑education classrooms.

Kimberly Felice, who identified herself as a teacher at April Park and the mother of a student in special education, asked the board to keep comments general and said she was “concerned with the services” available, particularly for students transitioning from 24‑hour, 1:1 residential care to school.

Felece said her daughter spent six months in an intensive residential program in Buffalo and that the shift back to school created anxiety because the student had been in constant 1:1 care. “I worry that she's going to wander in the high school if she gets out of anybody's sight,” Felice said, noting her daughter uses a tracker and had wandered once at another school. She told the board she was concerned services were “being pulled back because of understaffing” and urged active recruitment of certified staff.

Superintendent Dr. Perry responded that the district’s special‑education team is “terrific” and that two issues from the previous meeting have been resolved; he encouraged Felice to contact her child’s teachers as “your first line.” Dr. Perry also noted that the student’s teachers had already met with her twice in person.

Later in the meeting the board approved a resolution authorizing sole‑source procurement for News‑2‑You and Unique Learning Systems licenses, which Dr. Perry said the district uses in self‑contained special‑education classrooms. Dr. Perry described News‑2‑You as “a live feed…at a reading level that is supportive of our students in those programs” and said the district is expanding licenses across the continuum of services; he told the board that costs have exceeded previously authorized amounts and that the programs are unique, justifying sole‑source purchasing.

The motion to adopt the sole‑source resolution was made by Rose Giglielow, seconded by Christopher Larrabee, and approved on a 7–0 vote. The resolution authorizes an increase in licenses so the district can provide the programs across more classrooms.