Board affirms CREST collaborative amendments for special education services

The Lawrence Alliance for Education voted on May 14 to approve amendments to the CREST Collaborative articles of agreement, affirming the district’s continued participation in the regional special education cooperative.

A district representative who serves as the school district’s representative to the CREST board told members that CREST serves students with specialized needs whom the district cannot serve in-district and that Lawrence is the largest participant with roughly 71 students currently enrolled through the collaborative.

The amendments were reviewed by district teams and recommended for approval; the presenter characterized the changes as intended to make services more accessible and feasible for member students and noted that the CREST board approves its policies annually and requests affirmation from member communities.

The board moved and seconded the measure and, after a roll call, the motion passed.

District staff answered questions from board members about age ranges served, costs per student and transportation and said service costs vary depending on services required and may range substantially; staff said tuition and transportation plus certain reimbursements are factors when estimating per-student costs.

Board members noted the collaborative’s role in providing specialized services Lawrence does not offer in-district and recorded their affirmation of the amended articles of agreement so CREST can implement the updated policies and continue serving member students.