Elkhorn schools report drop in seclusion and restraint; district aims to sustain ES3 gains

Emily Lind, director of student services for Elkhorn Area School District, told the school board on Aug. 11 that seclusion and restraint incidents in special education have declined over the past two years and that the district will focus this year on sustaining practices funded by a state ES3 grant. Lind said the district’s totals decreased from about 141 (two years ago) to 70 last year and “this year dropped down to 65 and 57,” citing the grant‑period data. She said elementary schools — where most incidents occurred — showed the largest decreases and warned that a single student with intensive needs can substantially affect annual totals. The ES3 grant supports four core deliverables the district listed: reducing seclusion and restraint, expanding a continuum of educational environments, increasing adult learning and growth, and raising the use of evidence‑based practices. Lind and staff described concrete steps under each deliverable. Special education staff member Allison (last name not provided) described professional development and implementation work funded by the grant, including districtwide coaching from state consultants, a paraprofessional training track, and a revised crisis intervention curriculum that combines elements of established trainings. Allison said staff piloted an “interoception” curriculum in 4K classrooms to help young learners identify internal body cues that precede strong emotions. The district also expanded RISE (Reaching Independence through Structured Environments), previously a single‑school program, so every elementary building now has access to a highly structured resource setting. Sarah Troxell (role: special education staff) and Allison described student examples: a pupil who earlier required nearly full‑day self‑contained services returned to half‑day general education with RISE supports; another student moved from a two‑hour school day to full‑day attendance with no seclusion after team‑based interventions. Board members and staff discussed the complexity of state reporting. Lind noted state accountability metrics can be affected when students remain eligible for services beyond age 18 (up to age 21), which can lower certain cohort scores even though extended services are intended to support students’ transitions. Looking ahead, district leaders said the ES3 grant ends after the current year and that sustaining practices without grant funding is a priority. Lind said the district will: standardize implementation teams across buildings, continue targeted professional development, form a district‑level community of practice for staff who run highly structured resource settings, and refine tiered systems of behavioral support. The board heard the report; no formal board action on program funding was taken during the meeting.