MCPS presents 'Future Ready' special education plan; officials cite state findings, staffing and private-placement cost pressures

Montgomery County Public Schools special education leaders on Sept. 29 presented a “Future Ready” plan and an indicator report to the Board of Education Special Populations Committee, outlining priorities to boost student performance, reduce disproportionality and expand inclusive placements while flagging systemic compliance gaps, rising complaints and staffing shortages.

Lisa Gary Jones, associate superintendent for special education, told the committee the office received 125 state complaints in the most recent full year and had 35 state complaints so far in the current year. Jones described the complaints as a key driver for the office’s improvement plan.

Department officials said many complaint findings stem from IEP and procedural issues rather than classroom instruction alone. “A lot of the findings are coming from the IEP itself and the way the IEP is constructed,” a department presenter told the committee, citing missed timelines, incomplete present levels of academic functioning, lack of timely progress reporting and errors in reevaluation procedures as common problems.

Why it matters: MCPS serves tens of thousands of students with IEPs; the district told the committee its participation and proficiency measures for students with disabilities remain below state targets, triggering improvement plans and requiring the district to demonstrate corrective activity to the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE). MSDE monitors those plans and can audit districts’ documentation of professional development, progress tracking and corrective steps.

Key points from the presentation - State indicators and monitoring: Jones summarized the State Performance Plan indicators that shape federal and state monitoring and noted areas of success (graduation, dropout rate, some transition measures) and areas requiring improvement (participation and proficiency in state assessments, least restrictive environment targets, preschool outcomes and parent survey response rates). Department materials showed proficiency shortfalls dating to the pandemic period that the presenters said still affect outcomes. - Findings and systemic compliance gaps: Presenters said typical state findings include missed IEP review dates, missing prior written notices, gaps in progress reporting and deficiencies in present levels and goal writing. Officials said those problems have produced a high proportion of findings after state complaints and have prompted an accelerated professional‑learning and coaching schedule for principals, school psychologists and IEP teams. - Private placements and budget pressure: The district reported increasing payments for private placements and residential tuition and said state reimbursement for those placements will decline by 10 percentage points in a coming year cycle. Julie Hall, director for special education systems and management, explained the state’s share for private placements declines over successive years and said that shifting costs will require greater local funding for placements the district does not provide in MCPS schools. - Staffing shortages: Leaders described persistent staffing gaps in critical roles, notably speech therapists, and said the district is recruiting and launching “grow‑your‑own” and university partnership efforts to build capacity. Staff also described plans for office‑hours technical assistance, targeted trainings and stipends to increase paraeducator professional learning participation.

Responses and next steps Board members pressed staff on immediate fixes and parent communications. Officials said they plan mandatory and optional training series, expanded principal PLC briefings, a parent newsletter to start in January 2026 and a special education resource fair. The office also described quarterly school review cycles focused on IEP quality and targeted school supports for sites showing compliance risks.

What officials asked the board to note Officials urged board members to consider the fiscal implications of declining state grant reimbursements and private‑placement reimbursement steps. They also asked for board support to amplify parent outreach and to back recruitment for critical roles.