Parents, teachers and therapists warn of service cuts as Bellevue budget restores fall short

Members of the Bellevue School District community told the school board on May 1 that planned staffing reductions and budget-driven reassignments threaten special-education services, increase caseloads and leave families without timely communication about missed services.

Special-education teacher Claire Draw told the board Newport High School was told it would lose an inclusive-program designation this spring without explanation beyond budget concerns, a change she said will raise caseloads by “a minimum of nine students” and reduce special-education staffing by about 1.4 full-time equivalents. She said Newport has operated as a neighborhood school with inclusive supports for six years and asked the district to allow the school to continue that model.

The concerns were echoed by occupational therapist Megha Mahale, who said high caseloads have reduced therapists’ ability to collaborate with classroom teams and to generalize therapy skills into students’ daily school routines. “Without this crucial collaboration, our expertise can only do so much,” Mahale said, adding that limited collaboration time weakens the effect of therapy for students with fine-motor or mobility needs.

Parents and parent-group leaders described related problems. Mindy Carroll, a parent of a student who receives private therapy in addition to school services, said families need prompt written or verbal notice when school-based specialist minutes are missed so at-home practice can be coordinated with private providers. Amy Lennox, co-chair of the Bellevue PTSA Council’s Special Services Committee, said parents report that IEP and 504 accommodations are sometimes missed, that compensatory minutes are not consistently tracked or offered, and that schools are not always following the district’s reporting process for missed services.

BEA representatives and classroom-based specialists told the board classroom staffing decisions have already led to larger classes and heavier workloads in some schools. Melissa Taylor, an executive-board classroom-based student-services representative for the Bellevue Education Association, described a photography teacher reduced from 1.2 to 0.7 FTE and English classes at Sammamish High projected to be collapsed into two sections of about 42 students each rather than three sections of roughly 28. The contract target cited in public comments is 26 students per section; Taylor said the proposed assignments would substantially increase grading load and reduce teachers’ ability to give individualized feedback.

Speakers asked the district to track service minutes, provide transparent data to families about missed services and compensatory plans, and prioritize school-based staffing in the restoration plan. Parents also said they hear from families who fear retaliation for reporting problems and that, as a result, trust and accountability are eroding.

District leaders acknowledged the hardship of cuts and repeatedly said they were working within constrained budgets that will require “frugal” planning next year. Board members asked for clarity about how priorities will be set, how consistency will be maintained across schools, and how the district will support students who rely on frequent specialist collaboration.

The board did not take any vote on program changes or staffing during the meeting; the remarks were part of the public-comment period and the staff superintendent update. Speakers requested follow-up from district staff and clearer tracking and communication protocols for missed minutes and compensatory services.

Ending: Parents and staff asked the board for prompt, specific follow-up and for data showing where services are missed so the district can direct resources or accountability where needed. Several speakers urged prioritized, school-based staffing and transparent tracking of IEP/504 services rather than relying primarily on technology or equipment purchases.