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Superintendent presents midyear enrollment, special‑education and ELL growth; board assigns outreach leads
Summary
Michael Sawyers presented midyear data showing total enrollment of 5,018 and rising shares of students receiving special‑education services (about 15%) and English‑language learner services (247 students). The board reviewed Continuous Improvement Plan benchmarks and assigned members to lead community and business partnership outreach.
Superintendent Michael Sawyers presented the board with the district’s midyear Continuous Improvement Plan update on Feb. 4, including enrollment and subgroup trends that administrators said will affect staffing, services and budget forecasting.
Sawyers reported total midyear enrollment of 5,018 and said the district is seeing notable increases in two service populations: students with individualized education plans (special education) and English‑language learners (ELL). The district’s special‑education population was reported at about 15 percent of students; Sawyers said that at the start of the school year roughly 1 in 10 new enrollees required special‑education services and that midyear the ratio rose to about 1 in 5 of incoming students. He also said ELL enrollment has grown from 83 students in 2021 to 247 in 2025.
Those increases, Sawyers said, have implications for staff assignments and for the five‑year financial forecast because special‑education services can require additional staffing or contracted services. Treasurer Becky (surname not specified in the transcript) and administration noted that the district is on track to meet a forecasted efficiency target for the current year, largely because some projected new FTEs were not hired and because turnover often brings lower starting salaries.
On the Continuous Improvement Plan, the superintendent presented projected performance‑index figures and said midyear map and local assessment data show continued forward progress toward the district’s academic targets. He outlined CIP benchmarks that remain in focus this spring: academic achievement and growth, graduation and career readiness, student belonging and staff climate, and community engagement.
The board discussed the district’s objective to deepen community and business partnerships to expand student opportunities (items listed in the CIP included senior seminar, industry‑recognized credentials, entrepreneur day, career counseling and internships). Trustees assigned leads and volunteers to begin outreach: Paul and Mark were named to co‑lead business‑partnership outreach (partnering with the New Albany Chamber and local employers); Debbie and Jen will continue to coordinate New Albany For Kids and PTO engagement; Debbie and Mark will begin work on a quarterly community newsletter and distribution list. Administration said it will return to the board with proposed pilot events and a short menu of partnership options that local employers can choose from.
Ending: The board asked administration to return-year‑to‑date staffing and budget impact estimates tied to the rising special‑education and ELL caseloads and to present draft materials for business partnerships and the community newsletter in the coming weeks.
