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Mount Vernon reports rise in classified students; special-education leaders plan in‑district supports and IEP reviews
Summary
Director Michelle McKinney Bromley told the board the district’s classified student population rose from 1,533 to about 1,621, cited increases in autism diagnoses and preschool referrals, and outlined goals to reduce restrictive settings, lower some 1:1 teaching-assistant mandates and expand inclusive programs.
Mount Vernon, N.Y. — District special-education officials told the Board of Education at the Aug. 5 work session that the number of classified school‑age students rose compared with the previous year and that the district is working to reduce out-of-district placements and revise staffing and supports.
Michelle McKinney Bromley, director of special education, said the district recorded 1,533 classified students in 2023–24 and is currently tracking about 1,621 classified students for the new school year. "Some of the increases can be attributed to students transferring in," Bromley said, and she cited pandemic‑era impacts, limited early‑intervention availability and increased diagnoses as contributing factors.
Why it matters: The rise in classified students and high numbers of restrictive placements and 1:1 supports affect instructional staffing, district budgets and placement decisions. Board members pressed officials for data and audits on compliance, service delivery and out‑of‑district placements.
Key points from the presentation and discussion - Classification and referrals: Bromley said speech-and-language impairment, learning disability and autism are the largest…
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