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Committee forwards assistant chief of special education job to full board amid compliance concerns
Summary
The Policy and Personnel Committee of the Bridgeport Board of Education voted July 15 to forward a recommendation to the full board to create an assistant chief of special education to address IEP compliance, out‑of‑district placements and chronic absenteeism.
The Policy and Personnel Committee of the Bridgeport Board of Education voted July 15 to forward a proposal to the full board recommending creation of an assistant chief of special education to oversee IEP compliance, monitoring of out‑of‑district placements and chronic absenteeism.
The committee heard a presentation from Michelle McKinley, who identified her title as chief assessment team, explaining the role’s duties and justification. “I am requesting permission to add the position, assistant chief of special education to address the department's needs related to IEP compliance, charter schools, out of district placements, and chronic absenteeism,” McKinley said. She told the committee the district planned to eliminate two currently vacant positions to fund the new role and that anticipated savings in legal fees and compensatory services should make the change cost neutral.
Committee members pressed staff on potential gaps in student services if two behavioral‑specialist positions are not filled. McKinley said the district currently has three board‑certified behavior analysts and that supervisors spend large amounts of time on PPT/IEP meetings — “60 to 70% of their time” — limiting campus coaching and support for teachers. Superintendent Royce Avery told the committee the state technical assistance team is involved and that the district is working on a corrective action plan with the state.
McKinley gave the committee a preliminary estimate for compensatory services still under review: “roughly $4,700,000 in compensatory services,” and said staff are refining a per‑student tracker that could lower that figure from a high‑end calculation. Members repeatedly asked whether the special education expansion grant dollars could subsidize the position; Avery said state guidance on allowable uses of the new funding is still being clarified and that he will return to the board with more detail.
After discussion the committee moved the item to the full board for approval. The committee recorded the motion, a second and votes in favor; no abstentions were announced during the meeting.
The proposal and the related financial and staffing details will be considered by the full Bridgeport Board of Education at a later meeting.
