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Special-education leaders tell board caseloads and evaluations have risen; district reports decreased suspensions and expanded PBIS work
Summary
Special-education staff told the board identification and evaluation volume has grown and that the department served substantially more students over the year than appear on the December 1 count; presenters also described declines in recorded discipline incidents and increased use of detention in place of suspension.
Special-education leaders and teaching-and-learning staff presented a multi-part report to the Geary County Schools Board about program growth, compliance indicators and discipline trends.
Nut graf: Presenters said the district’s December 1 special-education count (used for some state reporting) understates the number of students who receive services over the course of a school year. They flagged increased evaluation volume (682 evaluations in the prior year), growth in some disability categories (autism, developmental disability, other health impairment), pressure on school psychologists and paraprofessional workloads, and a shift in discipline practice toward detention rather than out-of-school suspension.
Key data and takeaways - December 1 vs. annual served: The district reported a December 1 special-education count of 1,437 for 2023–24, but said 2,033 students…
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