Special-education administrators Shauna and Rebecca told the Siloam Springs School District Board that the department supports roughly 625 students receiving special education services, which they said represents about 14.5% of total enrollment. They reviewed the 13 disability categories recognized by Arkansas, described high-incidence needs (other health impairment, specific learning disability, speech-language impairment) and explained new program structures including two bridge classrooms (K–3 and 4–8) that allow students to move between general education and more supported instruction.

The leaders highlighted related services (noting high demand for speech-language therapy), specialized transportation provided for 93 students using five special-education buses, and growth in unified Special Olympics partnerships (108 unified partners). They described new instructional-coach positions supporting special-education teachers (K–5, 6–12 and SLE classrooms) and said the department expects spring monitoring by the Department of Education that will review student files.

Board members asked about retention and certification challenges for special-education teachers; administrators said the statewide shortage requires hiring people while they pursue certification and providing training and support to retain staff.