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Parents, students and staff raise concerns on special education staffing and paraprofessional cuts at Board meeting
Summary
Multiple public commenters urged the Academy District 20 Board to reverse special education paraprofessional reductions and to form a review of recent SPED staffing decisions. Speakers cited an unusually high share of statewide special education complaints and described impacts to students.
During the public‑comment portion of the meeting, several parents, staff and a student addressed the board with detailed concerns about special education staffing and the loss of paraprofessionals in district programs.
Veronica Baker, identifying herself as a parent and taxpayer, said Colorado had 59 special education lawsuits in 2024 and alleged that District 20 accounted for eight of them, citing that statistic in the public record. Baker said the district is letting experienced teachers and paraprofessionals go while leaving district‑level special education administrators “untouched” and called for greater accountability and support for paraprofessionals who “are the backbone of special education classrooms.”
Talia Navarro, an incoming senior at Rampart High School who said her mother is a resource teacher in the district, spoke about the effects on a hypothetical student “Ruby” who relied on a paraprofessional in three classes. Navarro said all resource paras at Rampart were cut and warned the reduced staffing would harm students who depend on para support to stay engaged and access instruction.
Resource teacher Catherine Beasley said she was informed that her full‑time resource teacher position had been cut and that two paraprofessionals would not return; she urged the board to form a committee to review budget decisions affecting special education, to evaluate programs individually and to revise the budget to ensure at least one paraprofessional per program districtwide.
Speakers described classroom and program impacts: rising behavior concerns, declining progress when para support is removed, reliance on contractors and online providers for specialized services, and the risk of increased litigation if supports are insufficient. Commenters asked the board to restore paras, review recent reallocations and ensure staff and students have legally required supports.
Superintendent Ginger Haber acknowledged the public comments but did not present immediate corrective actions during the meeting. The board did not take an immediate vote to reverse staffing decisions; the items and concerns were entered into the public record and will be available to board and staff for further consideration.
The meeting’s consent agenda and budget actions passed later in the session; several commenters said they will continue to press for specific SPED staffing reviews and accountability.
