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RSU 10 special‑education director: 519 students identified, staffing and placements strain services
Summary
Special services director Deb Alban told the RSU 10 school board that 519 students were identified for special education as of the district's October 1 count, with staff shortages, transportation needs and out‑of‑district placement waitlists creating barriers to timely services.
Deb Alban, RSU 10 director of special services, told the Western Foothills Regional School Unit 10 school board that the district had 519 students identified for special education as of the district's Oct. 1 count and that about a third of new students who moved into the district required significant services.
"We have 519 total, identified students," Alban said. "A third of our students who moved in require significant services." She said 40 of the 519 students were placed out of district and that seven students were waiting for openings in appropriate programs.
The numbers matter because many necessary programs are provided off campus or by special‑purpose private schools that have waiting lists, Alban said. Staff shortages compound the problem: the district currently has two special‑education teacher openings and roughly six special‑education instructional‑technology (ed tech) openings. Alban said districts also lack adequately trained substitutes for specialized student needs.
To address behavior and clinical needs, the district has contracted with Essential Learning Solutions for Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) consulting, Alban said. The consultant work focuses on behavior assessment and creating plans for students in the middle‑ and high‑school programs and at Murobi, where the district reported staff shortfalls.
Alban said the district is pursuing short‑term and medium‑term options: buying unused slots from the region's WFRP program, exploring reconstruction inside WFRP facilities to expand capacity, and discussing leasing space in the Town of Mexico (the Hawkes Campus) so providers could operate closer to students.
"We're trying to see if we can purchase those slots. That would be a short term [fix]," Alban said. She said she had set up tours for two potential provider spaces and was in early talks with Margaret Murphy and other agencies about leasing options.
Board members and administrators discussed recruiting and training strategies. Alban said the district was exploring broader advertising (including job sites such as Indeed), increasing the frequency of mandatory training sessions for ed techs and partnering with outside agencies to identify candidates. She also said some private recruiter firms quoted high finder's fees.
Alban described transportation as another critical constraint: certain students require buses with lifts or trained bus aides, and the district sometimes lacks coverage for routes.
Board members asked for examples of specialized training; Alban cited nonverbal students who require augmentative communication devices and other students with significant dysregulation who may need intensive, specialized training and placements.
The board did not take formal action on the special‑education report. Alban said the district would continue to pursue the short‑term slot purchases and additional provider partnerships and would bring updates to committee meetings and future board agendas.
