Council Rock to expand autistic support at two elementary schools; family outreach and staff training planned

Council Rock School District officials presented a plan on April 28 to expand autistic‑support (AS) services at Richborough Elementary School and Solfinestone Elementary School in order to place students in or closer to their neighborhood schools and align them to natural K–12 sending patterns.

Al Oberman, director of professional services, said the district expects 8 or 9 incoming students from the intermediate‑unit early‑intervention program and has contacted 16–17 families currently in the elementary AS population. For next year the district plans to send current kindergarten and first‑grade students who are now at Holland Elementary to either Richborough or Solfinestone based on home address; other AS students at Holland will remain until they matriculate out of that school.

Oberman described a transition plan that includes family nights, building visits, community‑based instruction (CBI) trips to help students acclimate to their new buildings, meetings with principals and teachers, and professional development tailored to staff needs. He said the district met with a sensory‑room consultant and is working to ensure classrooms and supports have required materials; a parent has offered to fundraise but staff said materials will be provided by the district.

Sabrina Baker, a board‑certified behavior analyst (BCBA) working in the AS program, said the district is surveying staff at receiving schools to identify professional‑development needs; the PD will be customized to staff questions and the district has already scheduled an initial session. The district also plans to schedule community‑based instruction playground and building acclimation visits for students ahead of the move.

Officials said Richborough has at least nine usable classroom/learning spaces that can be used for AS programming; Solfinestone currently has about five. District staff said the budget includes at least one or two additional special‑education teacher positions to staff the expanded AS program next year, but assignments to particular buildings will be determined as part of placement and staffing decisions.

The committee raised questions about safety and training. Administrators reiterated that all staff are mandated reporters, that Act 126 clearances and criminal‑background checks are monitored by human resources, and that the district provides crisis‑prevention and restraint‑reduction training. The district described the restraint follow‑up process: staff complete a risk report, nursing staff examine students after an incident, and parents are offered an IEP meeting within 10 days when a restraint occurs.

District staff also noted an upcoming family presentation on May 13 at 7 p.m. in the boardroom about post‑secondary planning and county supports (the Bucks County Office of Developmental Disabilities and an Autism Cares Foundation representative will present).

Ending

Officials said they will continue family outreach, refine staff professional development based on surveys, schedule community‑based transition visits, and incorporate sensory‑room planning as part of the rollout for the 2025–26 school year.