West Oso ISD officials present staffing, special education and dyslexia report as budget season nears

The West Oso Independent School District on Monday presented a detailed staffing and special-education briefing that included current enrollment, class-size ratios by campus, special education caseloads and proposed staffing changes ahead of the district's budget planning.

District officials said enrollment stood at 1,799 students and walked the board through class-size and staffing ratios at each campus, from pre-K through high school. They also described the district's special education and newly expanded dyslexia programs and outlined shortfalls in funding for special-education services.

The presentation, led by district staff including Ms. Moore and Dr. Rivera, showed kindergarten through fifth-grade class ratios ranging from about 14:1 in pre-K up to roughly 22:1 in some grades depending on campus and noted shared specialty teachers (music, art) that rotate between campuses. At West Oso Junior High and West Oso High School, staffing for electives, athletics and career classes was described with ratios and number of sections.

Special education: district serves 312 students across campuses. Officials reported the largest single-contributor category as speech impairment (125 students) and described related services counts: occupational therapy (72), physical therapy (18), counseling (14) and transportation (28). Presenters said some caseload declines reflect students leaving the district or meeting IEP goals and being dismissed; staff said they will provide campus-by-campus exit numbers at the end of the school year.

Dyslexia: staff said a change in state law (referred to in the meeting as House Bill 3928) has led to an increase in dyslexia evaluations and eligibility statewide and locally. The district reported 93 students currently receiving dyslexia services, served by three dyslexia-certified teachers; an increase is expected as screening and evaluations continue.

Proposed staffing changes: for 2025-26 the administration proposed eliminating one pre-K teacher at JFK because current pre-K enrollment has fallen from about 100 students last year to the mid-80s this year, and eliminating one education-and-training teacher position at West Oso High School due to low enrollment in that pathway. Officials emphasized the ROTC teacher post is contractually required and cannot be reduced.

Funding and risks: presenters told the board the district spends roughly $3.0 million annually on special education while state and federal special-education allocations (about $2.0 million state and about $450,000 federal) do not fully cover costs; the local general fund makes up the shortfall. Staff warned that continued deferment of maintenance and deferred capital needs has left the district prioritizing immediate repairs and exploring funding options such as limited maintenance tax notes, energy-efficiency (SECO) loans and, ultimately, a facilities bond.

Board members asked for more granular exit and transfer data for special education, confirmation of which positions are contractually required (ROTC) and clarification on how enrollment shifts (neighboring districts' pre-K offerings, transfers) affect staffing choices. Staff said they will return with campus-level exit figures and clarified that decisions for cuts are framed by enrollment and program viability, not by speculation.

Officials said the staffing discussion will feed into a budget workshop scheduled in two weeks, when staffing allocations will be converted into dollar figures and the board will consider whether locally available funds or debt options should be used to meet personnel and facilities needs.

Ending: The report was presented as part of the board's Balanced Scorecard priority on attracting, developing and retaining staff. Board members and staff agreed to follow up with more detailed, campus-level exit data and to identify specific funding paths that would reduce the district's reliance on its general fund for special education.