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USD 253 outlines Extended School Year eligibility, staffing and attendance
Summary
Director of student services Dr. Stephanie McNamara summarized the district's Extended School Year (ESY) process, eligibility criteria and recent attendance numbers; board members asked for additional detail on qualifying versus participation rates.
Dr. Stephanie McNamara, the district's director of student services, briefed the USD 253 Board of Education on the Extended School Year (ESY) program and how eligibility is determined for students with individualized education programs (IEPs). McNamara said ESY eligibility is considered at every IEP meeting and is governed by state special-education procedures.
"Each IEP team must consider that for every student, looking at the special-education related services, whether it's academic behavioral related services, as well as a need and the student must qualify. This is a process that is followed because of law," McNamara said. She described common eligibility factors as the nature and severity of a disability and the risk of regression over long breaks. ESY services typically run in July, she said, and the district works with families, principals and cooperative partners to identify staff and schedule services.
McNamara presented attendance and service counts for the most recent ESY: she said there were 46 students noted in the slide deck and that 11 of those received occupational therapy as a related service; she characterized overall attendance days as "pretty good numbers and pretty consistent with what we have seen in previous years." She also said ESY staffing is voluntary for teachers; staff are asked whether they would like to participate as ESY teachers and the district hires accordingly.
A board member asked how many students qualified versus how many participated; McNamara said she did not have that specific percentage ready and offered to provide it later. "I would say the majority of students did take advantage of the opportunity, but I can circle back to that," she said.
Why this matters: ESY is an entitlement considered at IEP meetings for students who meet eligibility criteria under state special-education procedures. Attendance and staffing decisions affect service continuity and specialized supports for students requiring year-round services.
What the board asked for: Board members requested follow-up detail on the number of students who qualified for ESY versus the number who actually attended and asked that staff evaluate whether a single ESY location is the best model going forward.
