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District reports 783 students with IEPs and expands special‑education supports
Summary
The district said 783 students currently have IEPs (19.5% of enrollment); it highlighted expanded autistic‑support classrooms, approval for the Patton Autism Initiative, new staff hires, inclusion rates and an assistive‑technology transcription pilot.
District Student Support Services presented data and program updates on special education and related services, noting expansion of staff and supports as the district transitions to the new elementary configuration.
The district reported, from its Pennsylvania data collection, that 783 students are identified with individualized education programs (IEPs), representing 19.5% of the district population. Of those students, presenters said 17.2% carry an autism diagnosis; staff cautioned that diagnosis does not always equate to placement in autistic‑support classrooms. Presenters also cited a 73.4% inclusion rate for students with IEPs spending 80% or more of the school day with general‑education peers.
Student Support Services said the district added 12 special‑education staff this year and has added two exclusive autistic‑support classrooms in the past year (one at Abraham Lincoln, one at Washington), bringing a total of seven K–8 autistic support classrooms. The district also reported it has been approved for the Patton Autism Initiative, which will provide consultants and professional development to support evidence‑based practices in inclusion and autistic‑support programming.
Staff described assistive‑technology pilots, including a teacher‑worn lanyard device that captures speech and transcribes it into audio and text for student devices and allows students to select preferred languages for receipt of the material.
What happens next: The district will continue to implement IEP consistency templates across buildings, expand selected MTSS supports in kindergarten and pursue training and consultation under the Patton Autism Initiative.
