Appoquinimink officials warn of rapid autism-program growth; district planning classroom expansions

Jessica Spence, the district senior coordinator for instructional programming in special education, told the Appoquinimink School Board on April 8 that the district’s RISE program—designed for students with an educational classification of autism—has expanded rapidly and will require additional classrooms and planning over the next several years.

Spence said the district opened RISE in the 2019–20 school year with five classrooms serving about 25 students; by the 2025–26 school year the program is projected to serve roughly 80 students in 31 classrooms. The district currently runs RISE classrooms in nine buildings and has had to expand some classrooms’ enrollment and add sections to meet demand.

“The growth and enrollment in our RISE program has required us to max out classrooms at seven students and, in most buildings, to house up to four RISE classrooms,” Spence told the board. She said classroom sizes and building design were originally planned for typical class counts, not for highly specialized classrooms that serve four to seven students with dedicated paraeducators and related services.

Why it matters

Spence said the projected “explosion” in middle-school needs next year is the result of the first kindergarten cohort that began in full RISE classrooms now aging into sixth grade. She told the board the middle-school program currently serves about 20 students in three classrooms but will need approximately 35 students served in at least five classrooms next year; those students will later transition to high school and then the district’s 18–22 program.

Funding and space constraints

Spence and district staff clarified the funding picture: the state’s needs-based funding formula provides funding tied to individual student needs, and the federal IDEA program provides special-education support, but those revenues do not cover the additional building square footage and specialized room layouts required for small-group RISE classrooms. The superintendent’s office said districts must use local tuition tax funds and other local revenues to cover gaps. Spence said IDEA is intended to fund 15% of costs but currently covers nearer to 6% of national expectations.

Board questions and planning

Board members asked whether surrounding districts are seeing comparable growth. Spence said the district has requested state data and that nearby districts are building programs but that direct comparisons are still being gathered. She also said the district has trained other districts in Delaware on the RISE model and that Appoquinimink is “ahead” in implementation.

Spence urged continued multi‑year planning for classrooms at the elementary, middle and high school levels and said the district will incorporate RISE classroom needs when new buildings are brought online. She noted staff are also planning for early‑childhood (birth‑to‑3) services and for the 18–22 post‑secondary transition program that will need capacity as cohorts age out of high school.

Ending

Board members expressed concern about space and thanked staff for the planning work. The district will continue to report back with specific siting and capacity plans as new schools and classrooms are developed.