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McAllen ISD special education enrollment rises; district outlines services for deaf students and Strides 18+ program
Summary
District special education leaders reported rising enrollment and described services ranging from early‑childhood and itinerant supports to a regional day school program for the deaf and an 18+ workforce‑readiness program. Officials detailed enrollment counts, federal grant funding streams and program partnerships.
Maribel Elizondo, executive director for special education, and Lisa Lara, director of the Regional Day School Program for the Deaf (RDSPD), presented the district’s special education report to the McAllen Independent School District Board of Trustees on Oct. 7.
The presentation outlined program scope, enrollment figures, supports, funding sources and recent events that illustrate current services for students with disabilities.
Key points from the report
- Enrollment: Elizondo said the district was at 3,650 students receiving special education services for the current school year, compared with 3,519 in the 2024–25 fall PEIMS submission. She also reported 740 students who received dyslexia services as part of that population. Elizondo noted the fall PEIMS filing had not yet been submitted at the time of her remarks.
- Continuum of services: The district provides a continuum that includes early childhood special education classrooms, inclusion services, resource settings and functional academic (formerly called self‑contained) settings. Administrators emphasized services are provided in the least restrictive environment to the extent appropriate for each student.
- Related services: The district provides speech, counseling, occupational therapy, orientation and mobility, transportation and assistive technology. When needed, behavior intervention plans and staff training in de‑escalation, restraint prevention and crisis prevention are implemented.
- Grants and accountability: Elizondo said the district manages two IDEA grants (IDEA formula for ages 3–21 and IDEA B for preschool ages 3–5) and monitors maintenance of effort requirements that ensure special education spending is sustained relative to general education. State and federal assessments noted include STAAR, STAAR ALT and TELPAS ALT.
- Strides 18+ program: The Strides 18+ workforce‑readiness program serves students who have completed high school requirements and focuses on skills such as vocational training, housekeeping, cooking and independent living. Elizondo said the program currently serves about 60 students and includes partnerships with South Texas College for instruction and training opportunities.
- Regional Day School Program for the Deaf: Lisa Lara described RDSPD services that span ages 0–21, including parent‑infant services for newly identified infants, itinerant services for students who remain in their home districts, cluster sites hosted at McAllen ISD (an oral program at Roosevelt Elementary and a total communication program at Escandon Elementary, Brown Middle School and Memorial High School) and 18+ transitions for eligible students. Lara said RDSPD provides services to 23 partner districts and reported total RDSPD enrollment of 302 for the current year compared with 322 in 2024–25; differences reflect reporting rules for consult services versus direct services reported in PEIMS snapshots.
- Training and awareness: Elizondo and RDSPD staff listed professional development delivered for resource and inclusion teachers and highlighted recent events including a “Deaf World” event on Sept. 26. The presentation also noted October awareness activities (Down syndrome awareness and dyslexia awareness) and invited participation in “Rock Your Socks” on Oct. 15.
Board questions and next steps
Trustees offered congratulations on outreach and events; the presentation was provided for information and no board action was requested. Administration did not propose immediate program changes during the presentation but identified training and partnership activities as ongoing work.
Data and audit note: Enrollment numbers came from the presentation slides and the presenters’ spoken remarks. Elizondo noted that fall PEIMS submission had not yet been filed at the time of the meeting, which explains the difference between reported current enrollment and the official PEIMS filing for 2024–25.
Speakers: Maribel Elizondo and Lisa Lara represented the special education department and RDSPD; district administrators and trustees attended the presentation.
