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Wareham reports 593 active IEPs and expands support: DESE IEP rollout and Special Olympics pilot funded
Summary
The district reported 593 active IEPs across grade levels, outlined training funded by DESE for the new IEP form, and said a volunteer-run Special Olympics strength-and-conditioning team will be continued with grant support.
The Wareham School Committee received an update Thursday from student services on the district’s special-education caseload and the rollout of Massachusetts’ new individualized education program (IEP) form.
Student services staff reported 593 active IEPs in the district: 277 at the elementary school, 21 at the middle school, 173 at the high school and 22 at the cooperative program, and said 53 students are currently placed out of district, including four residential placements and 49 in private- or public-day programs.
"The new IEP was released by DESE in April of 2023 with the expectation that all school districts would have it rolled out fully by the 24-25 school year," the student services director said, noting the district used fund-code 274 grants to train coaches and purchase training supports for staff and parents. The district said it secured grant funding for fiscal years 2024 and 2025 to support training, engaged outside trainers and maintained an online subscription to help staff and families adapt to the new forms.
The team also described a newly added engagement specialist, funded through the grant, who will work to re-engage students at risk of dropping out and to provide one-on-one support to families learning the new IEP paperwork.
Student services staff described a volunteer pilot of a Special Olympics strength-and-conditioning team run by staff members and paraprofessionals; the district has applied for a Special Olympics grant to fund coaches and startup costs for two years. "I think it's about 5,000 for, like, supplies and the coaches' salaries," the director said when asked about likely costs.
The committee heard that DESE funding streams including IDEA-related entitlements and other grants are important to the district’s ability to provide special-education services; administrators said yearly federal allocations are managed by the state and that amounts have varied between roughly $590,000 and $800,000 in recent years.
Committee members asked for continued updates on training and family engagement as the new IEP form is adopted and welcomed the Special Olympics initiative as a way to support student participation.
