Board approves new special-education coordinator positions to expand district capacity

The Burlington Community School District board approved a new special-education coordinator job description Monday that adds district leadership and coaching capacity to support teachers, principals and students and to help ensure compliance with special-education legal requirements.

“We have prepared a ... new job description, for a new position we’re proposing to add to support our special education programs, to help add some leadership capacity and coaching capacity to support students and teachers and principals,” Corey Johnson, the district’s special-education director, told the board. Johnson said the positions are designed to provide boots-on-the-ground support in schools, to help teachers and principals navigate changes in AEA-provided services and to maintain Individualized Education Program (IEP) compliance.

Johnson said funding largely comes from special-education dollars, including an estimated $130,000 the district will receive from a 10% AEA funding shift; the board was told the positions are “basically self funded through special education funds.” The proposal calls for certified staff coordinators (not administrators), and Johnson described a model with two coordinators — one focused on elementary and one on secondary — working with building principals and the district special-education director.

Trustees asked about relationships with AEA (Area Education Agency) services and whether the coordinators replace AEA work. Johnson said the AEA remains responsible for required services but will be operating at roughly 90% of prior capacity; the new district positions are intended to supplement leadership support and to address capacity gaps. The district also intends to keep two districtwide behavior-intervention specialist positions.

A motion to approve the job description passed after discussion; one trustee recorded an abstention citing a conflict of interest.