Sioux Falls School District expands behavior team, reports fewer out‑of‑district special education placements

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 described a new three‑tier behavior team implemented this school year: board certified behavior analysts (BCBAs) at the top tier, behavioral specialists embedded in buildings at the second tier, and behavior facilitators who work directly with students at the third tier. "This team has only been into effect for half a year so it's not fair to judge or to say yes it's highly effective or no it's not highly effective but I will say that we are seeing a reduction in our referrals," Kennedy said.

She gave specific staffing figures: the district increased BCBAs from 4 to 10, added 17 behavioral specialists and numerous behavior facilitators (the facilitator headcount fluctuates by building and staffing needs). Kennedy said principals have authority to convert education assistant (EA) positions to behavior facilitator roles when necessary to meet student needs.

Cost and placement trends

Kennedy said out‑of‑district placements remain costly, ranging from about $50,000 to $120,000 per student per year. She told the board the district has reduced the number of students sent out of district over the past three years and is working to keep students in the district when appropriate because in‑district placement is typically more cost‑effective and eases transition back to least‑restrictive environments.

Transition and partnerships

Kennedy highlighted Community Campus, the district's transition program for ages 18–21, and said staff are exploring consolidating the program into a single location to streamline services. She also described Project SEARCH, a paid internship program now hosted at Sanford Medical Center that pairs the district, Sanford and Vocational Rehabilitation Services to prepare students for competitive employment.

Data, criteria and documentation

Board members asked how state and federal rules affect eligibility and funding. Kennedy said eligibility begins with the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and that states apply criteria aligned to that law. She also said the district uses an electronic special education documentation system (SpEd Advantage) so student records move with the student if they change schools.

Kennedy said her office is collecting behavior data and expects a fuller analysis at the end of the school year; she offered to provide the board more detailed behavioral data over the summer. "We are very data rich and so the BCBAs are collecting their own data as well and it is quite impressive already," she said.

Board action and next steps

After questions from board members about staffing numbers, evaluation authority and program placement, a motion to "acknowledge the overview of the special services report" was made and seconded; the board voted in favor and the report was acknowledged. Kennedy said the leadership team will continue reviewing program definitions and placement criteria and will return with more data and recommendations.

Ending

Kennedy closed by thanking the special services staff for their work. Board members praised the department and signaled interest in reviewing the year‑end behavior data to guide future budgeting and staffing decisions.