Osceola district outlines hub-based plan for special education; parents and teachers raise safety, staffing and access concerns

The Osceola County School District presented a broad redesign of special education services — moving toward districtwide inclusive opportunities and four-zone “hub” models for separate-class placements — during a school board meeting on March 10, 2025. The presentation, delivered by Hillary D’Oyca, director of Exceptional Student Education (ESE), did not require board action; the board took public comment afterward.

The plan seeks to reduce the district’s reliance on separate-class placements and expand inclusion, D’Oyca said, noting the work began with a board advisory committee in March 2023 and that the district’s rate of students in separate classes is higher than comparable districts. The presentation described a continuum of service models — from blended preschool and inclusive general-education options to several types of self-contained classrooms and transition programs — and proposed locating some separate-class programs in centralized “hubs” to concentrate resources.

District officials said the goal is to increase time students spend with non-disabled peers while preserving separate-class programs for students who need intensive instruction or health supports. The presentation named specific models: blended pre-K at every elementary/K–8 school,…