Bay Shore district outlines reconfiguration of special-education classes to spread services across schools

Bay Shore Union Free School District special-education administrators presented a multi-year plan to redistribute specialized classroom programs across district buildings for the 2025–26 school year, saying the changes are intended to reduce student travel, balance class sizes and embed related services where students attend.

The presentation, led by Dr. Endes and Miss Rivera, explained that the UPK Center will open another 8:1:1 class and transfer one classroom to Mary G. Clarkson School; Mary G. Clarkson will also resume a K–2 developmental 12:1:1 class. Brook Avenue will host ABA classes for students zoned to Brook Avenue. South Country will add a third 8:1:1 class. Gardiner Manor (third-grade developmental classes) will receive a 12:1:1 third-grade developmental section, and the middle school’s two 8:1:1 sections will be reduced to one for the coming year with positions moved to South Country.

District staff said the goal is to “start to spread these programs out” so that students increasingly attend services in their zoned schools and so comparable programs can collaborate in the same building. Dr. Endes told the board the plan is intended to avoid concentrating programs “all in one building,” which creates space and resource bottlenecks. She added, “It’s just gonna take probably about 2 or 3 years to get to there.”

Administrators described three program types and why placement matters. 8:1:1 classes provide highly individualized instruction with heavy communication and therapeutic supports for students who may be nonverbal or require intensive behavioral support. 12:1:1 developmental classes use alternate, performance-based curricula and center-based small-group instruction. 12:1:1 general-assessment classes follow a modified regular curriculum at a slower pace with more repetition and accommodations.

Staff said class-size and enrollment numbers informed the moves: the K–2 developmental 12:1:1 at Mary G. Clarkson was described as “approximately 11” students and will be near capacity, and South Country had “more than 16” children slated for 8:1:1 classrooms, prompting the addition of a third section. The Gardiner Manor third-grade developmental class was described as starting with five students and expected to grow; South Country’s parallel class was described as starting with about 11 students and likely to phase down over time as cohorts shift. District staff emphasized decisions were made to minimize transitions for students already placed in programs.

Board members and staff discussed the staffing and support needs that accompany these placements: behavioral consultants, speech-language pathologists, occupational and physical therapists, and adequate classroom space. Administrators said the redistribution aims to build collegial supports—teachers and related-service staff working in proximity—so specialized staff can consult with peers and reduce program isolation.

No formal vote on these placements was recorded during the presentation; staff portrayed the plan as an operational reconfiguration to be implemented over multiple years as enrollments evolve. The district also noted that some moves reflect current building capacity while other adjustments will be phased as cohorts progress through grade bands.

District officials said families whose children are affected will receive program-specific placement communications and that staff tried to limit disruption by making some placements “pure” grade cohorts (for example, a third-grade-only developmental class) when feasible. Administrators emphasized that program expansion requires not only teachers but the suite of related-service providers and suitable space.