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Worcester County Board Approves 2025 Special-education Staffing Plan as Enrollment Rises
Summary
The Board approved the 2025–26 special education staffing plan after a presentation detailing growing caseloads and inclusion gains; the district projects up to 848 students with active IEPs and reported 8,699 weekly special-education service hours last year.
The Worcester County Board of Education on Aug. 19 approved the district’s 2025–26 special education staffing plan following a detailed presentation by special education director Wendy Phillips.
Phillips told the board the staffing plan is developed annually beginning with the October child count and ongoing meetings with principals and service providers to match staffing to student needs. “We start in October with child Count,” Phillips said, describing the year‑round process used to set caseloads and services.
She outlined the district’s caseloads and settings: roughly 12% of Worcester County Public Schools’ students are served under special education, with the majority in elementary grades. Phillips said the system’s inclusion rate has improved to about 86% and that Worcester County ranks third in the state for inclusion. The presentation listed 770 active IEPs currently and projected the total could reach about 848 students this year. Phillips also reported that special education students received 8,699 hours of services per week last year and that 159 students received extended‑school‑year services.
Board members praised staff for supporting inclusive placements and work with families. Dr. Andes said full inclusion ‘‘changes children's lives’’ and thanked special‑education staff for their work. Superintendent Dr. Wallace recommended approval.
Motion and vote: The superintendent recommended approval; Elena McComas moved to approve and William Buchanan seconded. The board voted in favor.
What happens next: The staffing plan will guide hires and assignments for the coming school year. District staff said they will continue monitoring caseloads and returning to the board with any needed adjustments.
Sources: Presentation and data reported to the board by Wendy Phillips on Aug. 19, 2025.
