Indian Prairie details special‑education enrollment, preschool growth and assistive‑technology program

District 204 staff told the Board of Education March 10 that the district’s special education population continues to grow and described a range of supports from preschool through transition services, with a focus on assistive technology (AT), training and cost‑saving in‑house fabrication.

Student services staff reported that the district’s December child count was 3,107 students receiving special education services. Preschool enrollment in the district’s program was 724 students as of the December count and rose to 745 as of Feb. 28, 2025. Staff said the preschool operates 27 classrooms at three sites (Shoreline: 19 classrooms; Graham: 6; Georgetown: 2) and that about 57% of preschool families list a primary language other than English; staff said they identified about 58 languages currently spoken in the preschool program.

Sally Osborne, principal of Prairie Children Preschool, summarized the preschool program and instruction, noting dual‑certified teachers, playgrounds designed for motor development and alignment to Illinois early learning standards. "We have 27 classrooms at 3 sites," Osborne said, and described family engagement practices and the preschool’s Gold Circle quality designation from the Illinois monitoring process.

District staff also described targeted supports and staffing: the district reported 104 young adults in its Steps program, about 140 students placed out of district (typically in private therapeutic day schools paid for and monitored by the district), and one student in residential placement. Staff said speech and social‑work services remain the most widely accessed supports. The district’s special education percentage was reported at 11% of enrollment compared with a state level of 16% and a national norm near 15%.

Assistive technology presentation and examples Assistive‑technology specialists demonstrated a range of AT devices from "low tech" (pencil grips, slant boards, picture communication books) and mid‑tech items (single‑message devices, adaptive scissors, proximity switches, adaptive pouring cups) to high‑tech systems (communication apps on tablets, eye‑gaze devices). The team described a tiered approach to communication supports intended to get systems into students’ hands more quickly while providing training and implementation coaching.

One specialist cited the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) when describing the legal definition and scope of assistive technology: "If I was reading what assistive technology is defined, as via IDEA, it is any item, piece of equipment, or product, system, whether acquired commercially, off the shelf, modified, or customized, that is used to increase, maintain, or improve functional capabilities of a person with a disability." The team also described local examples of cost savings from in‑house fabrication: a commercially purchased Communicate AT accessory listed at about $185 can be 3D printed in district for roughly $0.66; a switch that costs about $75 commercially can be 3D printed for about $1.07; and staff adapted inexpensive toys and devices for switch activation at low cost.

Training and implementation Staff said training for school staff and families is required under IDEA when devices are included in an IEP; the district has expanded training options, including on‑demand modules through Infinitec and live virtual sessions. Assistive‑technology staff handle device inventory and record keeping; the district’s technician (a 12‑month employee) manages ordering, budgeting, repairs and device distribution. Staff said AT purchases and training are funded primarily through the IDEA grant, but costs for some high‑end devices can exceed several thousand dollars for a single student.

Questions from board members covered out‑of‑district placements, the preschool’s growth and staffing, demographic changes, record keeping and training logistics. Staff said out‑of‑district placements are for students whose needs exceed the district’s capacity, that the district funds tuition and transportation for those placements and monitors students’ returns when appropriate.

Why it matters: the presentation highlighted expanding needs and supports for students with disabilities, early‑childhood enrollment growth, multilingual family engagement and the district's efforts to use training, device standardization and in‑house fabrication to increase access and control costs.