Parents, CPAC press Wachusett district for clearer special-education plan and restored playground accessibility language

Good evening. My name is Laura Ybarra, and I'm the chair of Wachusett Regional School District's Special Education Parent Advisory Council. I'd like to address several important items on tonight's agenda that relate to special education and ask that you give them careful consideration.

Why it matters: Families and the district's CPAC (Special Education Parent Advisory Council) said the district must improve transparency about special-education placements, clarify financial and contractual questions related to the CAPS collaborative, and restore accessibility standards removed from a draft playground safety policy. CPAC leaders presented results of a fall family survey and urged prompt action on staffing, communication and measurable goals.

The CPAC presentation and public comment portion of the meeting focused on multiple concerns. Laura Ybarra, chair of the district CPAC, told the committee the council had given the administration “a comprehensive list of concerns” in January and asked that “the full financial picture is made clear before any decisions are made,” specifically calling attention to collaborative agreement language (section 7) and the collaborative’s 2024 financial statements. Ybarra said, “Special education in this district is…