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Phoenix-Talent SD 4 board hears plan to shift elementary special-education services toward inclusive model
Summary
District staff outlined a multi-year shift to an inclusive model that will enroll every elementary student with an IEP in a neighborhood general-education classroom while maintaining individualized services; board members and parents expressed strong support and questions about safety, staffing and monitoring.
Phoenix-Talent SD 4 staff told the school board on Thursday that the district will move its elementary special-education services toward a cohesive, inclusion-first model for the 2025–26 school year, enrolling all elementary students with individualized education programs (IEPs) in their neighborhood general-education classrooms while providing individualized supports.
The change is intended to make general education the default placement for elementary students with disabilities, district staff said. "Special ed is a service, not a place," the presenter said, adding the district will keep pull-out spaces such as sensory rooms and continue to provide all services listed on students' IEPs.
District staff said the shift grew from several years of incremental changes: contracting with neighboring districts for some classes, developing in-district programs, adding staff including speech-language pathologists and a district nurse, and relocating classrooms to ensure a continuum of services at each building. Every school in the district now has a site-based self-contained classroom (TLC) and resource-room (ERC)…
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