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District launches 'Special Education Hits the Road' outreach, adds paraprofessional pay incentive and specialist hire
Summary
Fairbanks North Star Borough School District announced a special-education outreach tour of schools, a $2,000 paraprofessional recruitment/retention bonus, a new special education instructional support specialist hire and offered help to Western Alaska families displaced by recent storms.
The Fairbanks North Star Borough School District announced a districtwide special-education outreach initiative and recruitment incentives Oct. 21, and said it is coordinating support for families displaced by a typhoon in Western Alaska.
Superintendent Doctor Meinert described "Special Education Hits the Road," a series of on-site meetings where district-level special education administrators will visit schools to meet parents, teachers and support professionals, collect feedback and strengthen local communication. The administration said the sessions are intended to surface community themes and to inform district-level planning; a summary of findings will be brought back to the board.
The district also said it has increased pay for secondary paraprofessionals, is offering a $2,000 recruitment and retention bonus for paraprofessionals and has hired Cassie Castillo as a special education instructional support specialist to improve onboarding and site-level support. Officials said the combination of pay increase, bonus and an instructional specialist will help contactors and schools reduce vacancies and better support students with individualized needs.
Doctor Meinert also reported outreach to support families displaced by the recent Western Alaska typhoon; district student support services have coordinated with Anchorage partners and tribal organizations to identify students and families who may relocate to Fairbanks and ensure enrollment supports if families choose to relocate. The administration said it has been in contact with the Lower Kuskokwim School District and the state commissioner’s office.
In the superintendent’s report, Doctor Meinert also highlighted a districtwide graduation rate at an all-time high of 82.6 percent, with recent subgroup gains: special education graduation rate up 21.7 percent and Alaska Native students up 12.3 percent compared with previous years. The superintendent attributed gains to credit recovery programs, targeted tracking of credit-deficient students and school-based efforts.
