ESE Advisory urges review after AM/PM speech-program closures; calls for nursing, diabetes and camera policy fixes

The ESE (Exceptional Student Education) Advisory Council pressed the School Board of Broward County at the May 9 workshop to reopen and review decisions to end a half-day pre-K speech-language program in many schools and to provide a financial and programmatic justification for closures.

Jackie Laskom, chair of the ESE Advisory Council, told the board the AM/PM specialized speech-language program ' which historically offered three-hour, half-day remediation in some pre-K classrooms ' was closed in 13 of 16 schools last year after enrollment fell in those classrooms. "Those non-comparable alternatives are now what parents are being forced into," Laskom said, describing the options families were offered as either part-day speech walk-in services or full-day pre-K with pull-out speech, which she said can disrupt parents' schedules and does not match the former program.

The advisory passed a motion asking the superintendent and the board to: - Review the closures and present a financial breakdown that justified the decision; and - Evaluate alternatives and potential for program rebuilding if supported by outreach and awareness.

Nursing and diabetes accommodations: The ESE advisory also passed a nursing motion asking for several actions including parent satisfaction surveys for nursing services, notification to parents when a school nurse changes, and guidance on allowing parents to communicate with students by cell phone for Type 1 diabetes management. During Q&A Superintendent Dr. Hepburn and Chief Academic Officer Simone Hollingsworth confirmed school-level principals and coordinated health services are working to clarify procedures; Hollingsworth said students are allowed to communicate with families for diabetes management with adult supervision when needed. Assistant General Counsel Mary Bautista said the district's cell-phone policy includes medical carve-outs and that 504 and IDEA accommodations apply.

Classroom cameras and timeline: Advisory members and board members pressed staff about a delayed policy to allow cameras in special-education classrooms by request. Staff told the board the state-level legislation that might have eased the path did not pass; legal review found parental-rights language required additional changes. Staff set a new rulemaking schedule showing a workshop on June 24 and a final vote July 22 to put a revised policy in place before the next school year. Counsel told the board that under the statute the district must include language that if 1 parent objects, the camera cannot be placed.

Why it matters: Advisory chairs said the AM/PM closures may have reduced access to a pre-K pipeline that leads to higher enrollment in Broward schools and that the closures appeared geographically concentrated. Members also raised repeated operational complaints about nursing and interpreting services that affect student safety and accommodation.

Next steps: The advisory asked staff to provide a written follow-up covering the AM/PM decisions and financial breakdown, and asked the board to consider the advisory's nursing recommendations and suggestions for camera policy language.

Ending: Laskom and other advisory chairs said they would submit parent testimonials and additional documents and expected a written district response followed by board discussion.