Longview School District highlights gains in inclusion, outlines funding changes for special education

Longview School District staff told the school board June 9 that the district has increased the percentage of students with disabilities who spend most of the school day in general education classrooms and described how recent state law changes will change how special-education services are funded.

The presentation, led by Dr. West and joined by Patty Bowen, executive director of business services, explained least restrictive environment (LRE) rules under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and displayed district and state LRE data. "Special education is a service, not a place," Dr. West said, adding that the LRE measure is intended to ensure students "are gen ed students first." The board discussed classroom-level participation, supports teachers need for inclusion, and budget implications tied to changes made this legislative session.

Why it matters: state education officials measure inclusion by the share of time students with disabilities spend in general education; that metric drives both accountability and, following recent legislation, more of the dollar flows. District leaders said the state eliminated the prior 16% funding cap and moved to a single multiplier for special-education funding, changes…