Dickinson ISD reports rising special-education enrollment; dyslexia and evaluation policy cited

Dr. Packer, who presented the special-education enrollment report at the Jan. 27 Dickinson ISD workshop, said the district has seen an increase in students receiving special-education services and provided a program-by-program breakdown.

Packer said the district’s enrollment snapshots — taken on the last Friday in October each year — show increases at most campuses and across several disability categories. “These numbers are at snapshot, which for us is the last Friday in October,” Packer said.

The presentation listed program counts including 55 early childhood special-education (ECSE) three-year-olds; 978 students receiving speech services; 1,492 in resource and inclusion programs; 303 in behavior-class placements; 60 receiving direct social-skills supports at the three junior highs and Dickinson High School; 370 in life-skills programs (including some four-year-olds); 19 students in an 18-plus program; and two students in out-of-district placements. The presenter also said 822 students were identified with dyslexia, of whom 473 were receiving direct services. At the regional day school for the deaf (identified in the presentation as at CCISD), Packer said six students were on-site and seven were served itinerantly.

Packer attributed part of the rise in special-education counts to two policy changes described in the presentation: district staff may no longer require interventions before referring a student for special-education evaluation (the presenter cited state guidance to that effect), and the inclusion of dyslexia in special-education reporting has increased the totals by adding students who previously were reported separately.

Trustees asked follow-up questions about how Dickinson’s rates compare with other districts and about enrollment categories. One trustee noted the district has roughly 12,000 total students and that, with dyslexia included, the presenter’s figures reflected roughly 18–19% of the student body. Packer said increasing numbers are consistent with statewide trends.

Board members also asked about out-of-district transfer procedures and residency affidavits. In response, Packer said the district does not provide transportation for out-of-district transfers: “If they’re out of district transfers, no. We do not bus out of district transfers.” She described the affidavit process for students whose residency proof is not standard: families sign a notarized affidavit and the district conducts home visits, with most affidavits completed during the summer and verification happening throughout the year.

The workshop presentation also included campus-level charts showing that Lobit Elementary had both high enrollment and a high percentage of students receiving special-education services, and that overall district special-education enrollment rose from earlier snapshots to the most recent one the presenter showed.

No formal policy action or vote on special-education programs occurred at the workshop; the item was presented for information and trustees asked questions. After the presentation and a brief question-and-answer period, the board entered executive session and later returned to approve a motion to adjourn.