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Pullman special-education enrollment rises; district plans adult transition program and expanded training
Summary
District special-education staff reported a notable increase in students served, new transition supports, state-funded training via the RREI grant and plans to develop a dedicated adult transition program for ages 18–22.
Pullman School District special-education staff reported growth in enrollment and outlined plans to expand transition services and professional development.
Dominic Ventresco presented enrollment trends showing steady increases over the past four years and a notable jump this year. "This is our highest number that we've seen being able to serve students with IEPs," he said, describing a year-over-year increase that he attributed in part to families moving into the community.
District staff described program-level changes: increases in developmental learning center (DLC) counts at elementary and middle levels, addition of a fifth special-education teacher in 2023 to staff an extended-resource room, and ongoing pre-employment-transition work with the county DVR program to provide foundation employment skills. Ventresco said the district has run an annual transition fair since 2023 featuring community agency booths and legal counsel to advise families on guardianship for students approaching adulthood.
Professional development plans include an additional year of RREI grant-funded activities (to reduce restraint/isolation practices) and two-day STAR autism training for Kamiak DLC staff, as well as continuing coaching from True Measure Collaborative for Lincoln and Franklin program teams. Ventresco called the development of a dedicated transition program for adult students ages 18–22 a "big" priority; the district is still in a collaborative planning phase.
Board members asked about consent-to-share practices and county-level resource coordination. Ventresco explained consent-to-share is done starting at ninth grade to link families with state agencies, and that some resources flow through Whitman County before reaching families.
Next steps: staff will pursue development of paper resources to streamline agency referrals in IEP meetings, continue grant-funded training, and advance planning for an adult transition program.
