Central Unified trustees approve revised special-education structure, require fall update after staff consultation

The Central Unified School District Board of Trustees voted 5–2 on Feb. 11 to approve a revised reorganization of the district’s special-education department that raises the number of program supervisors from three to four and requires administration to consult the district Special Education Task Force and return an update in October 2025.

The change comes after extended public comment and debate among trustees about turnover in special education, recruitment challenges and how best to provide coaching and compliance support for staff. The board earlier unanimously amended the assistant director job description to require two years of administrative experience before deciding on the final reorganization measure.

The reorganization plan presented by Dr. Anne Lopez, who led the district’s reorganization briefing, proposed a framework with a director, an assistant director, program supervisors and teacher-on-assignment (TOSA) coaching support. Dr. Lopez said administrators had adjusted credential and licensure language to include a California teaching credential or a Pupil Personnel Services (PPS) credential in school psychology for certain leadership roles and had refined minimum qualifications after earlier board feedback.

Multiple staff and bargaining-unit representatives urged caution and more ground-level input before the board finalized a structure. Laura Bolton, president of the Central Unified Teachers Association, said the assistant director job description’s original one‑year administrative-experience minimum was insufficient and asked for more experienced candidates. Andrea Chase, a special-education teacher, said she supported adding coaching capacity but urged the board to involve the SPED task force. Shelby Tucker, a district school psychologist, told trustees the department has “constant turnover” and asked the board to hear from people who work “in the trenches” before finalizing structural changes.

Trustees debated competing priorities: recruiting experienced leaders quickly to fill current vacancies versus pausing to gather more task-force feedback and preserve department stability. Trustee Carrillo initially moved to approve the administration’s recommendation with a late‑calendar update; that motion failed by a 1–5–1 vote. Trustees then agreed to an amended plan, moved by Trustee Kerfon and seconded by Trustee Sellers, to add a fourth program-supervisor slot and require the administration to consult the Special Education Task Force and report back in October 2025.

The board also separately approved two job descriptions unrelated to the supervisor count: the assistant superintendent of human resources job description and the child welfare and attendance technician job description, both carried 7–0.

Trustees and members of the public repeatedly cited high turnover in supervisory jobs as a central problem. Several speakers argued that simply changing titles or moving positions without addressing retention drivers (compensation, workload, coaching and case-load structure) would not solve the underlying staffing instability.

Administration said some positions are already vacant or being covered on an interim basis and argued that filling director and assistant‑director roles is necessary to stabilize operations; the board’s approved timeline anticipates recruitment and placements to begin before the fall.

Trustees directed the administration to present a progress report by October 2025 that documents steps taken, staffing changes and feedback gathered from department employees, and to include financial implications if additional positions or changes are recommended.

What the board decided: the district will proceed to recruit and fill the director and assistant‑director roles, implement the revised organization with four program supervisors, and return a written evaluation with staff feedback and any budget implications in October 2025.

Why it matters: Special-education leadership and staffing determine compliance with individualized-education-plan (IEP) timelines, coordinate services for students with disabilities, and can materially affect classroom supports for vulnerable learners. Trustees framed the vote as an attempt to balance immediate operational needs with the board’s desire for meaningful staff input.

Next steps: Administration will begin recruitment for the director and assistant‑director roles, refine job postings consistent with the board’s amendments, consult the Special Education Task Force and prepare the October 2025 report requested by the trustees.