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Franklin County schools reorganize special education, centralize applied-skills and align schedules
Summary
Superintendent Dustin Gering and staff presented a reorganization of special education and challenge programming that centralizes applied-skills classes, assigns instructional assistants based on IEP need, adds one special-education hire, and aligns middle- and high-school schedules to reduce shared staffing.
Franklin County Community School Corporation Superintendent Dustin Gering announced a package of staffing and program changes intended to align services across the district and better match staff to student needs.
The plan, presented at the board’s May 12 meeting by staff member Shannon New, will assign instructional assistants at the elementary level based on the number and severity of individual education programs (IEPs) in each building, add one special-education staff member districtwide, and centralize applied-skills classrooms. Under the proposal, the applied-skills K–6 class will be located at Brookville Elementary School (BES) and the applied-skills 7–12 class will be located at Franklin County High School (FCHS). New also described resource-teacher assignments at the secondary level.
“We have empowered and charged Miss New with chasing down a lot of the remedies,” Superintendent Dustin Gering said, thanking staff for the work that produced the plan. “She’s done a fantastic job, putting together a plan for next year, not waiting longer and longer going into next year, to address some of the concerns that have been brought up.”
Why it matters: district leaders said the moves respond to parent concerns and to uneven staffing and programming among the district’s three elementary schools. Centralizing some services and aligning schedules is intended to reduce the number of staff who must split time across buildings and to ensure consistent programming for high-ability and special-education students.
Key components and details
- Instructional-assistant staffing: At the elementary level, instructional assistants will be assigned by need—based on the number of IEPs and their severity—rather than by an equal number per building. At the secondary level, resource teachers will be assigned for grade bands: one resource teacher covering sixth, seventh and eighth grades at the middle school and resource coverage for grades 9–12 at the high school. New said the change required one additional hire and replacement of a vacated middle-school special-education teacher.
- Applied-skills classes: Applied-skills programming will be centrally located: BES will host K–6 applied skills; the high school will host grades 7–12 applied skills. Students who require transportation will still be transported between their home building and the site where the program is offered.
- Challenge/high-ability program: District leaders will align services across all three elementary schools. Grades K–3 and grade 6 will receive differentiated instruction within the regular classroom during “WIN” (What I Need) time. Fourth- and fifth-grade high-ability students will be placed in self-contained classrooms of about 20–25 students who meet high-ability criteria; a new high-ability handbook is expected over the summer.
- Bell schedule alignment: Middle-school and high-school bell schedules will be aligned so first periods, lunches and some shared staffing times match. District staff said that alignment reduced the number of teachers who travel between buildings and simplified shared staffing logistics. The change also allowed the middle school to add a full-time teacher.
Operational notes and parent guidance
New told the board principals and counselors met weekly for months to work through schedules and staffing and that principals notified teachers of movements already. She advised parents that registration and placement processes are data-driven and that principals retain placement authority; she said principals will revisit placements if an assignment does not work out.
“Parents think like parents,” New said. “We ask them to trust our judgment, and if it doesn’t go as we think it will, we’ll be glad to come back to the table and have that discussion.”
Clarifying details on logistics included transportation for students who will now travel between buildings for applied-skills and confirmation that elementary specials time, recess and lunch minutes will be standardized across all three elementary schools next year.
Ending: District officials said they will monitor enrollment and staffing over the summer and encouraged families to register promptly during open enrollment so staffing can be finalized before August.
