Leander ISD’s Office of Educational Access told the board that its five‑year formative review shows measurable progress in several areas — including higher post‑school engagement for students who received special education services — while flagging persistent disparities tied to socioeconomic status. "The goal here is to ensure equitable access to opportunities by eliminating barriers for each and every student," the office said in its presentation. Highlights from the presentation - Post‑school outcomes for students with disabilities: The office reported that Leander ISD graduates who received special education services are more likely than peers in Region 13 and statewide to be enrolled in higher education or competitively employed one year after exit. For the class of 2022 the district reported 74% of special education graduates intended to pursue higher education and 35% were enrolled one year later; 85% expected employment and 39% were employed one year later. For 2023, 79% intended college and 37% actually enrolled one year later; 88% expected employment and 32% were employed one year later. - National comparison: The presenters noted national adult employment rates for people with disabilities at about 22.5% in early 2023 and contrasted that with Leander ISD’s higher rates (about 39% and 32% for 2022 and 2023 graduates, respectively), citing early vocational exposure and paid work experiences as key drivers. - Participation in CTE, fine arts and athletics: The district reported growth and stability in student participation in fine arts, athletics and career and technical education (CTE). Fine-arts participation returned strongly after hybrid years; presenters said roughly one in two middle/high students participate in some fine-arts offering. The district also highlighted a 24% increase since 2019–20 in eighth graders earning at least one high‑school credit before entering high school. - Disproportionality and economically disadvantaged students: The office flagged a structural concern: 25% of economically disadvantaged students in LISD are served in special education, compared with 14% of non‑economically disadvantaged students — a disparity the office said warrants continued attention and programmatic response. Actions and next steps The Office of Educational Access plans to: launch a third‑year cultural‑competency survey; roll out season three of its On the Street podcast with campus‑level features; recruit a second cohort of educational ambassadors; and complete a master‑schedule reflection tool to help campuses examine access when building schedules. Presenters told trustees they will continue to partner with special programs, CTE, fine arts and athletics to scale promising practices. Ending: Trustees praised the work and asked administration to extend parent engagement practices used in special programs to other student groups; administrators said they would continue to refine dashboards, develop reflective tools for master scheduling and present monitoring metrics to the board.