Woodhaven-Brownstown highlights expanded special‑education programs, honors PAC volunteers

The Woodhaven-Brownstown School District on Tuesday recognized two special‑services staff and reviewed several recent expansions to early‑childhood and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) programming designed to keep more students in district and increase inclusive opportunities.

Director of Special Services Matt Salah summarized the department’s work over the past two years and described new and expanded programs, saying the district has focused on early community engagement, expanded ASD programming and added classroom capacity to reduce out‑of‑district placements.

"Kindergarten readiness starts when kids are born," Salah said, describing outreach and weekly community events — including a music group at the Brownstown Community Center that he said draws about 50–60 families — intended to connect families with district services before children enter school.

Parent representative Megan Arabucki, one of the district’s Wayne RESA Parent Advisory Committee (PAC) members, presented awards and shared a personal account of how two staff members supported her family during a diagnostic and transition period. "She was careful. She had a lot of compassion in her eyes," Arabucki said of a staff member who helped her family navigate diagnosis and services. "If he has people like this in his life ... he's gonna be okay." Arabucki identified the recipients as Miss Noto and Miss Romo and credited them for supporting families and students.

Nut graf: School leaders told the board they have opened new classrooms and services across elementary and secondary buildings — including an ASD resource room at Wiganka Elementary School, a second Early Childhood Program (ECP) classroom at Goodeth Elementary School and expanded center‑based ASD classrooms at Yake Elementary — to provide more in‑district specialized instruction and inclusion opportunities. The district also noted increased peer‑to‑peer programming, sensory supports and vocational/life‑skills programming at the high school level.

Salah described the ECP capacity limits and recent change in class size: "The max you can have in an ECP ... is 24 students total — 12 in the morning, 12 in the afternoon — and that's too many for significantly impaired students. Thanks to the board, we were able to open a second classroom at Goodeth and keep those numbers much lower," he said. The district said the change allows more one‑on‑one support and improved kindergarten readiness skills.

Board members thanked parents and staff. One board member commented that parents of students receiving special services are among the most active advocates and praised staff leadership for responding to that advocacy. The presentation materials shown to the board included photos and descriptions of sensory spaces, resource rooms and field trips the district says support inclusion and real‑world learning.

Ending: The board did not take formal action tied directly to the presentation; the item served as recognition and an informational update. District leaders said many of the classroom openings and program expansions were previously approved by the board and will continue into the next school year.