PGCPS unveils state-approved corrective action after spike in special-education complaints and vacancies

Prince George's County Public Schools officials told the Board of Education on Aug. 21 that the Maryland State Department of Education has approved a district-level corrective action plan intended to address gaps in special-education services, following a rise in state complaints and unusually high teacher vacancies.

The corrective action, presented by Tranel Bowman, associate superintendent for special education, and introduced by Chief Academic Officer Judith White and Interim Superintendent Joseph, responds to district data showing more than 17,000 students with disabilities in PGCPS as of Oct. 1, 2024, a snapshot in which the district had the highest reported number of special-education teacher vacancies among Maryland local education agencies (242), and an increase to 131 state complaints in the 2024–25 school year (up from 79 the prior year). The district also reported 68 due-process complaints for 2024–25, an increase of 25 from the prior year.

Why it matters: State findings and the vacancy levels were cited as drivers of the corrective action. At the public meeting, district leaders said the most frequent state finding related to the district’s inability to implement individualized education program (IEP) services as written,…