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Parents and Crest students urge Mercer Island School Board to preserve CREST staffing and special-education supports
Summary
Students and parents told the Mercer Island School District Board they fear proposed budget cuts to the CREST alternative learning program and uneven special-education access for resident students, asking for transparency on open enrollment and spending priorities.
Students, parents and advocates told the Mercer Island School District Board of Directors on June 9 that proposed staffing and course reductions at CREST (Crest Learning Center) would remove supports for students with individualized education programs (IEPs) and Section 504 plans and push some families to leave the district.
Speakers described CREST as a smaller-class, high‑support alternative-learning site that uses extra adults and smaller classes to meet students’ needs. They said the program’s structure — paraeducators in every class and two teachers in the CREST block — reduces sensory and behavioral disruptions and helps students with documented needs succeed.
The speakers asked the board to retain current staffing and course offerings at CREST. They also urged clearer public reporting on open-enrollment admissions and asked the district to explain why resident students sometimes face difficulty obtaining IEP services while some nonresident or employee children reportedly receive placements more easily.
Why it matters: CREST serves a high share of students with special-education needs, speakers said, and…
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