Park Hill: special-education enrollment up 42% over decade; district outlines staffing, training and transition expansions

Park Hill School District presenters on Feb. 27 told the Board of Education that the district’s special-education caseload has grown substantially over the last decade and described program expansions designed to address student needs.

Adrienne Kelly, director of academic services, told the board the district served about 11% of students with special-education services this fall and that the total number of students in special education rose 42% between 2014 and 2024. "Over the last 10 years, we have been on an increase in students that we're serving in our department," Kelly said.

Why it matters: Kelly and other presenters said the growth reflects better identification, reduced stigma around seeking supports, and higher community diagnosis rates for conditions such as autism and ADHD — trends the presenters said are visible in many districts statewide. The district said some specialized classroom needs have risen, including a roughly 4% increase in high-support classrooms used for students with significant medical, communication or behavioral needs.

Program and facility changes: District staff described several changes made or planned in response to feedback from parents and school teams. Those include installing turf playgrounds with zero-entry access and communication boards to improve inclusion for students who use wheelchairs or are nonverbal; installing push-button entries at schools; expanding training opportunities for general-education and special-education staff; and increasing school psychologists and other positions tied to budget assumptions the board has already discussed.

On training and community engagement, Kelly and Heather King, special-education staff, described a new special-education community council that met four times this year. The district partnered with an outside parent-support organization, Impact, to run sessions on the "art of advocacy" so families better understand evaluations, IEP meetings and transition planning. "They were very complimentary of our school district and all of the work," King said of Impact's feedback.

Transition and employment: Presenters highlighted the Journey 18–21 transition program, an employer-based training program housed at the Embassy Suites hotel. Heather King described students working on hospitality tasks in the morning and on job-readiness (interviewing, coworker interactions) in the afternoon. "The whole goal of the program is by April, we start applying for jobs. And the goal is for them to have a job by the time they graduate," King said. Presenters said most students who complete Journey leave with paid employment; the program typically serves four to eight students each year and uses partner supports such as Exceptional Humans and vocational rehabilitation.

Budget and staffing concerns: Board members asked about rising costs given stagnant overall enrollment. A board member noted that increased special-education needs explain some budget pressures; presenters agreed and pointed to planned staffing additions (including psychologists) to meet growing caseloads. Presenters also acknowledged workforce challenges: "Special education is one of the most difficult areas to find teachers and then also retain," a district administrator said, adding the district is working on recruitment and retention through training and supports.

Student voice and examples: The presentation included student and participant remarks describing hands-on tasks in Journey and emphasizing the program's real-world impact. A Journey participant, Connor, described visiting other districts as the district considers program expansion beyond the number of students Embassy Suites can host.

What’s next: The district said it will continue to expand playground improvements at elementary schools and bring similar upgrades to secondary sites, continue the partnership with Impact for parent trainings, and monitor funding for transition services. Presenters said they will continue to seek more employer partners to scale the Journey program if funding and vendor capacity allow.

Sources and evidence: The presentation and board discussion are on the Feb. 27 board meeting agenda under item 7.1, and presenters cited federal and state special-education frameworks including the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and Missouri standards when describing eligibility and program alignment.