Parents and staff tell board integrated services and special‑education data need urgent attention

Multiple community members used the Oct. 21 community‑comment period to raise concerns about Poudre School District’s integrated services and special‑education practices, asking the board for clearer data, independent review and better communication with families and staff.

Laura Whitehead, who identified herself as a former employee at a center‑based program (CLPE) and a parent, told the board that a September change in seclusion/behavior‑management protocol had been reversed two weeks later and that the new guidance limited staff actions in potentially dangerous situations. “When I sought clarification on the new procedure, I was met with vague responses like, ‘yeah, I know, sorry,’ or simply ‘you'd need to trust,’” Whitehead said. She said the change left staff feeling they could not protect themselves in imminent‑danger situations, and she said she was assaulted as a result of the revised directive. Whitehead told the board she has observed regression among many students who had relied on structure and predictable protocol.

Danny Lawrence urged the board to demand better IDEA‑Part B reporting and suggested an independent third‑party audit of integrated‑services data. Lawrence told the board that the federal Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) reviewed the Colorado Department of Education in 2024 and found CDE had not fully enforced annual district reporting responsibilities. He said that (in Colorado’s response to OSEP) the state has begun a facilitated assessment and that PSD will participate in federally required data collection beginning in February. Lawrence asked the board to seek the underlying data and questioned whether some district metrics (for example, graduation and growth measures) are being reported in ways that obscure outcomes for students with disabilities.

Other commenters urged continued district focus on mental health, inclusive policies for transgender and nonbinary students, and that the board examine differences in services across schools. Board directors noted the issue was discussed at community engagement sessions earlier that week and requested additional information on how integrated services are represented in cabinet‑level decision‑making and where families may lack access to information about center‑based programs or dyslexia supports.

District staff did not take immediate action during the meeting but the board’s discussion acknowledged the concerns and asked staff to return with more information. Speakers who requested public records or audits were told the district would follow typical processes for information requests and for responding to federal/state facilitated assessments.