Special education directors outline capacity, 68 out-of-district students and propose dedicated out-of-district coordinator

Winchester Public Schools' special education leaders presented a six-month review on Jan. 16, reporting the district serves roughly 18.4% of its students through Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) and that 68 students currently attend out-of-district placements in about 30 different schools across three states.

Director of Special Education Marlena Salguis and Assistant Director Chris Campbell told the School Committee the district's three largest disability groups are specific learning disability (29.2%), health impairment (most often ADHD, 20.4%) and autism (14.7%). Campbell said the out-of-district caseload is concentrated in autism and emotional/behavioral needs and described logistical complexity: "roughly 70% of the position's work week is dedicated to out of district responsibilities," noting that travel, compliance monitoring and frequent family contact currently consume most of the assistant director's time.

Why it matters: Salguis and Campbell said the current split of duties limits central-office capacity for in-district program development, supervision and inclusion support. Out-of-district placements carry higher tuition and transportation costs and mean families and students often travel long distances to access services.

Recommended changes: The pair proposed a multi-year plan to build capacity and strengthen inclusion: - Convert the part-time out-of-district coordinator role to a full-time position to centralize case management, compliance monitoring and transportation coordination. - Expand the assistant director role to full-time (1.0) to allow stronger in-district program oversight, middle/high school supervision and curriculum/program evaluation. - Add a full-time special education supervisor focused on secondary program enhancement and compliance. - Add a central office administrative assistant to support out-of-district workflows and the student information system (Aspen). - Pilot or secure evidence-based curriculum for specialized programs and expand sensory supports and inclusion coaching (elementary and secondary).