Parent tells Apache Junction board STARS special-education class lacks staff; district pledges follow-up

A parent told the Apache Junction Unified District governing board on Aug. 26 that staffing shortages and classroom instability in the district’s STARS special-education program are undermining students’ progress.

Tara Gardner, introducing herself as the grandmother of a student in the STARS program, said her grandson started in the district program in November 2024 and “is not getting the same 1‑to‑1 time that he got last year” because of larger class sizes and staff turnover. Gardner said the child, Dylan, had made marked academic gains the previous year but now faces “behavior issues [that] seem so dominant.”

Gardner said she has met with STARS teacher Deborah O’Connor and other staff and remains concerned that the program now treats “students … instead of individuals with individual needs, individual strengths, and individual weaknesses.” She asked the board to investigate and urged restoration of the supports that had produced improved grades for her grandson.

The board did not take formal action during public comment. A district representative speaking immediately after Gardner said the special-education leadership team would follow up. The board’s response at the meeting was limited to that pledge of follow-up; no timeline or specific next steps were announced on the record.

The public‑comment period at the meeting included a brief reminder from the board about the three‑minute speaker limit and Arizona’s open‑meeting rules.

The concern raised by Gardner came during the meeting’s public‑comment segment. The board’s staff acknowledged receipt of the concerns and said the district’s special‑education leadership team would investigate and report back to the family.

The board did not vote on any changes to the STARS program at the Aug. 26 meeting.