Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Sioux Falls School District expands behavior team, reports fewer out‑of‑district special education placements
Summary
At a board meeting, Special Services Director Denise Kennedy reported on the district's special education programs, detailing staff and budget figures, the district's new three-tier behavior team, reduced out‑of‑district placements and efforts to centralize transition services.
Denise Kennedy, the district's Special Services director, told the Sioux Falls School Board that the department manages a $66,000,000 budget, employs roughly 1,700 staff and serves more than 4,200 students who qualify for special education services.
Kennedy said the district has expanded its behavior team and reduced costly out‑of‑district placements, and she asked the board to acknowledge the report. The board made a motion, seconded and unanimously acknowledged the overview.
The details: why it matters
The special services division supports students from birth through age 21 and relies on the district's December 1 child count to determine the largest portion of its state aid. Kennedy said the district provides a continuum of services across 26 program locations, including early childhood programs, RISE (Reaching Independence Through Structured Environment) programs at elementary, middle and high school levels, behavior programs at Horace Mann and Axtell Park buildings, and an 18–21 transition program called Community Campus.
Kennedy…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
