Alexis, the district’s executive director for special education, told the Board of Education on Aug. 13 that the special education department has moved several stakeholder priorities into active work for 2025–26, including a comprehensive staffing study, expanded professional learning and public-facing program guides. "We got that special education parent advisory council up and running. So I'm happy to share that we have had 2 meetings of our special education parent advisory council last year," Alexis said. The report summarized results from earlier stakeholder listening sessions and a survey that identified communication, professional learning, inclusion and staffing as top concerns. Alexis described steps already completed: a resource committee for elementary resource delivery; targeted trainings tied to new core materials (Bookworms) on Jan. 6 and universal design for learning training on Jan. 30; districtwide professional learning for kindergarten through second-grade teachers on Feb. 28; and two meetings of the parent advisory council. Alexis said the district held its first out‑of‑district picture day at Hubbell to provide school photos to students placed in programs outside district buildings, calling the event "a heartwarming experience." The department’s priorities for the coming year, she said, are fourfold: continue the elementary resource program review (which will also examine the PISA instructional program); expand professional learning for both general and special education staff; publish instructional program guides for clarity and transparency; and conduct a comprehensive staffing study covering special education teachers, related service providers and teaching assistants. On compliance and family engagement, Alexis told the board that increasing IEP‑related training for staff is central to improving family participation at IEP meetings. She confirmed Section 504 processes remain separate from IEP work and said the state is expected to issue additional guidance on Section 504. Board members asked about cadence and format for meetings, how outplacement decisions are made, whether IEP meetings are in person or virtual, and whether staffing work would be constrained to reallocation or could lead to requests for additional FTEs. Alexis responded that the staffing review would compare District 200 to peers and could result in either reallocation or requests for new positions, and said IEP teams review placement at least annually. "We really wanna make sure that our kids are accessing their personal least restrictive environment," she said. The presentation included plans to publish program guides on the special education web page and to continue quarterly meetings of the parent advisory council. Board members commended the department for the parent council and the picture‑day outreach and urged continued focus on practical supports for families and cross‑district collaboration on professional learning.