Nantucket schools report rise in special-education enrollment; new IEP system and wraparound services expanded

NANTUCKET, Mass. — At the May 20 Nantucket School Committee meeting, district special‑services leaders said 354 students were currently qualified for special‑education plans and described implementation steps after a state integrated program monitoring visit.

"We weren't surprised by any of the findings. They're easily managed," Deb Galey, director of special services, told the committee, describing preliminary results of the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) site visit and the district’s work to address compliance items.

The special‑education update outlined why the issue matters locally: the district’s caseload grew to 354 active plans from about 335 the prior year, creating demand for in‑district supports, out‑of‑district placements and more coordination with outside providers.

Michelle Cadavid, special‑education coordinator, said the district is supporting "354 students that are currently qualified" and reported that 10 of those students are in out‑of‑district residential placements. Cadavid told the committee the data presented were collected as of May 12.

District staff said the special‑education rate in Nantucket is about 19.7 percent of enrollment, compared with a state average cited in the meeting of about 20.6 percent. Cadavid said the district had seen an increase of roughly 19 students since the previous year and noted a rise in referrals tied to DESE’s early‑literacy screening and to English‑language‑learner assessments.

Officials credited a recent switch to EdPlan, a new IEP management system, with raising compliance. Galey and her team said the new system automates notifications and enables parents to sign IEPs digitally; it also provides one‑click translation of completed educational plans into targeted family languages, improving access for Spanish and Portuguese speakers.

Sherry Lewis, coordinator of student support and social‑emotional learning, described growth in 504 accommodation plans and district accommodation plans used before formal 504 placement. "This past year, we have seen a slight increase in the number of students who are on 5 0 4 plans," Lewis said, and added that district accommodation plans emphasize classroom teaching practices before moving to more formal plans.

Leaders described several expanded services used this year: a bridge room program that supports students returning from hospitalization, tiered SEL interventions, small‑group counseling in partnership with the Family Resource Center, canine therapy in all four schools and a pilot of MIO, a mental‑health assessment tool.

Cadavid said 10 students were placed across eight residential schools in Massachusetts and Connecticut and that the district’s aim is to return students to Nantucket when appropriate. She also said the district met federal requirements to consult with private schools and had, when possible, sent providers to private schools so students could remain onsite for services.

Leaders described partnerships that expanded capacity: Youth Villages, now operating on the island since March, offers wraparound family services and has increased the number of slots available to Nantucket students; the district also reported continued collaboration with Fairwinds (mobile crisis) and JRI.

The presentation included workforce and training updates. Cadavid and Galey said the district is pursuing a third school psychologist, and Lewis noted an Orton‑Gillingham literacy cohort that will produce trained teachers across buildings — the presenters cited planned totals of three teachers at Nantucket Elementary School, eight at Nantucket Intermediate School, two at Cyrus Pierce School and two at Nantucket High School when the cohort completes certification.

Committee members thanked staff and asked about student participation in IEP meetings. Galey and Cadavid said students are invited at age 14 and that some students — particularly at the high school — are being trained by liaisons to lead their IEP meetings, voicing what "works for them, what they need and what they don't need," Cadavid said.

No formal committee action was taken during the presentation; the update was delivered as information and followed by questions and committee praise.

The district said it has applied for a two‑year suicide‑prevention grant focused on trauma‑attuned counseling and expected a high likelihood of award; the presenters said specific federal grant allocations were not yet finalized.

Officials closed by thanking staff and noting continued work to monitor compliance and to develop more in‑district services for students with intensive needs.