Taos Municipal Schools leaders told the board that two separate reviews — an independent compliance review by CES and a New Mexico Public Education Department (PED) audit — identified continuing deficiencies in special‑education processes, particularly in Individualized Education Program (IEP) documentation, parent notices and consistent progress reporting.

Superintendent Dr. Antonio Layton Jr. and associate administrators described the findings at length and said the district has already begun corrective steps. The PED memos referenced by staff included concerns under “Indicator 4b” (disproportionate suspension or expulsion rates among students with IEPs by race/ethnicity) and “Indicator 13” (timely parental notices and documentation). The board packet included a CES special‑education compliance audit and a PED final state audit that administrators said largely mirrored each other’s findings.

Associate Superintendent Reneta Mondragon said the district has assigned direct oversight of the special‑education program to the associate superintendent’s office and that a binder of standard operating procedures and guides has been prepared for case managers and site teams. "PowerSchool and special programs do not dance together," Mondragon said, describing a systems interoperability problem the district is addressing by aligning manual inputs and by planning a future data‑system migration.

Dr. Sherry Malake, director of exceptional programs, told the board that the audits found missing or incomplete present levels of performance, missing annual goals or progress notes, missing parent invitations and inconsistently documented prior written notices and evaluations. She said the district has provided mandatory training to staff at the start of the school year and submitted corrective filings to PED; CES consultants and district staff will adapt models from other districts to Taos’s needs.

Board members pressed for concrete outcomes. Administrators responded that steps under way include:
- Assigning the associate superintendent to provide direct oversight of special education operations and IEP quality control;
- Preparing a corrective action plan (CAP) and providing mandated training;
- Contracting consultants (CES) to review files and provide model documentation and tools (including a digital goal‑writing tool from REC); and
- Increasing site visits and having the exceptional programs director attend key IEP meetings.

Officials emphasized this is a system‑wide effort, not limited to one person: administrators said training, site mentors, and case manager support aim to reduce paperwork errors and ensure eligible students receive timely services. The board did not take formal action but directed staff to continue monthly reporting on CAP progress and staffing needs.