Trustee-driven special-education legal-transparency policy advances after wide public comment

Trustee Michael May presented a policy proposal Wednesday aimed at increasing public transparency about how Conroe ISD spends taxpayer dollars on special-education legal matters.

The draft policy would require the superintendent to report and post details of special-education legal expenses that meet certain thresholds, provide regular updates to the board and make resource and training information available for families navigating special-education disputes. The policy was discussed in detail but not adopted at Tuesday's meeting; trustees asked administration to refine implementation language and confirmed there is a transition deadline in the draft.

Why it matters: Several parents and advocates addressed the board during public comment, describing long-running due-process litigation and urging the district to increase financial transparency and pursue early dispute resolution. Trustee May framed the draft as a fiduciary and access measure: "EHBAG is designed to correct that. It ensures financial transparency in how tax payer dollars are spent on special education legal expenses, establishes a clear reporting cadence from the superintendent to the board with required details, and provides tax payers with visibility by posting special education legal fees on our website," May said.

Parents and parent groups testified during the citizen-participation portion of the meeting about decades-long appeals and the cost of prolonged litigation. "Our district has spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on legal fees," said Hannah Wire, who shared a personal due-process case that has remained in appeals for years. Conroe ISD parents also organized a new parent advisory group (CPAC) to connect families of students receiving special education services and to work with the district on early resolution before cases reach legal expense stages; CPAC leaders invited trustees to their first meeting on Sept. 15 at the JET Center.

Administration and trustees discussed implementation logistics. Trustee May and the superintendent agreed the policy should rely on existing documentation where possible and not add unnecessary reporting burden to special-education staff. The draft includes a transition timeline requiring the reporting structure to be in place no later than Jan. 31, 2026.

The board did not take final action on the policy at Tuesday's meeting; trustees asked staff to return with a final version that minimizes duplicative work by using existing case records, hearing transcripts and billing records.

Sources and attribution - Trustee Michael May (policy proposer) - Hannah Wire (public commenter on SB 111 and long-running due-process litigation) - CPAC parent leaders (public comment and event invitation) - Doctor Landry (superintendent) and district staff (implementation discussion)

Ending Trustees praised the concept and asked administration to return with a version that uses existing documentation and a practical reporting cadence; if finalized the policy would require timely public reporting of large special-education legal expenses and strengthen oversight of dispute-resolution spending.