Division presents IDEA Part B annual plan, cites 4,658 students with disabilities in December count

Dr. Glenda Walter, who leads special education programs and services for Norfolk Public Schools, presented the federal Part B (IDEA) flow‑through application and the division’s plan for 2025–26.

Walter told the board the federal application is built on the December 1 child count and that Norfolk reported 4,658 students with disabilities in the most recent December 1 tally. She explained the application includes three major components: the Section 611 school‑age allocation, the Section 619 early‑childhood special education allocation, and the required proportionate set‑aside for children who reside in the city but attend private schools or are parentally schooled.

Under the Section 611 portion, Walter said the requested funds (planned at level funding for the application) would prioritize salaries and benefits — the largest line items — to pay for staff positions that the grant supports. The presentation listed positions the grant would fund under level funding assumptions: a parent resource center educator, a budget specialist, three teacher specialists for special education, four administrative secretaries, 38 teacher positions and 75 paraprofessionals. Walter said the CEIS (comprehensive early intervening services) set‑aside would continue to fund a CEIS social worker and 12 student interventionists to address concerns such as disproportionate disciplinary outcomes; the state has not mandated Norfolk onto a CEIS set‑aside but the division continues the set‑aside voluntarily.

Walter described the Section 619 preschool allocation as smaller but targeted to support early‑childhood special education classrooms (teachers, one paraprofessional and materials for Easton Preschool, Fairlawn and Willoughby). The presentation also described the proportionate set‑aside and the district’s practice of contracting speech‑language services for eligible privately schooled or homeschooled children.

Walter identified the legal authorities governing the application (the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 2004 and the Virginia regulations governing special education) and explained required assurances and maintenance‑of‑effort rules. She also summarized training and professional development delivered by her office so far this year (reporting roughly 235 learning opportunities and more than 3,000 attendances across them), and said the application will be submitted to the Virginia Department of Education following school board approval.

Board members asked about whether funding might be reduced at the federal level; Walter said state instructions direct divisions to prepare assuming level funding, but final awards could vary. Members also asked about monitoring and implementation: Walter described a multilayered monitoring approach that includes school leadership, spot checks of student records, proactive compliance reviews and collaboration with school leadership development and the chief schools officer to follow outcomes and corrective actions. She said that while policy and procedures largely exist and were reviewed during a recent state audit, implementation requires ongoing focus.

Walter said the administration will bring the full application to the board for approval on the board’s upcoming business meeting agenda and that the application must be submitted to VDOE by the state deadline.