SISD outlines special education program redesign to expand services at home campuses and boost transition supports
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Summary
District special education staff presented a redesign of certain special-education classrooms to expand services at more campuses, reduce student travel, maintain staff-to-student ratios and increase transition and employment supports including Project Search placements.
Socorro ISD special education staff on June 24 presented program redesigns intended to expand access to certain special-education offerings at students'home campuses, reduce travel and preserve service levels.
A former transition coordinator and a district special-education presenter described changes to early childhood special education, combined Functional Living Skills (FLS) and Practical Academic Skills classes, and the ACCESS program. The presenters emphasized the district is not eliminating preschool services for children with disabilities; rather, some services will be shifted so more students can receive specialized supports at their home campuses.
Key elements of the redesign presented to the board:
- Early childhood special education: Rather than transporting pre-K and kindergarten students to offsite classrooms, the district plans to provide collaborative supports on home campuses, minimizing bus time and enabling placements in the least restrictive environment. Staffing ratios were adjusted in the February staffing process, administration said, to ensure sufficient personnel on campuses offering the expanded services.
- Functional Living Skills (FLS) and Practical Academic Skills merger: By combining those two programs at the elementary and middle levels, the district said it would expand the number of campuses providing these services from a handful to 13 campuses, yielding 19 classrooms and reducing placements that required students to change campuses. The presenters said both programs teach life skills and alternative academic curricula; the combined classrooms were designed to be staffed at the district's existing FLS ratio (1 adult to 3 students) to preserve support levels.
- ACCESS program consolidation: Elementary ACCESS classrooms serving fewer students at multiple sites will be consolidated into a single campus (O'Shea Kelleher) selected for space and social-emotional supports. Administration said the campus has calming spaces and room for future growth.
Special-education transition and employment programming: staff highlighted Project Search, an El Paso Community College certification and employment pathway that places students in year-long internships with community partners and hospitals. The district said SISD placed nine students in Project Search slots during the current year and reported employment outcomes above regional and national averages for program participants.
Trustees and family members discussed concerns about change and relocation; trustees asked about transportation and logistics. Administration said it had coordinated with transportation and sought to minimize disruptions, particularly for students who had been placed at a campus for multiple years. Trustees asked staff to document parent outreach and feedback for the record and to continue offering transition nights at campus locations to increase family participation.
The presentation did not propose elimination of mandated services; staff said students who require more restrictive placements will continue to receive required services and that students may remain eligible for services up to age 22 if needed. Staff said additional parent meetings and campus-based transition nights will be scheduled next year to accommodate families and increase participation in planning.
