Doctor Lawson presented district data showing a rapid increase in students who require intensive and complex special-education supports and explained how federal and state assessment rules affect diploma pathways.

"The number of students enrolled in Brandywine school district with complex and intensive educational needs has more than doubled from 538 students in school year '19 to 1,120 in school year '26," Doctor Lawson said, describing requirements for verification and the kinds of supports—smaller adult-student ratios, assistive technology and related health services—these students often require.

Lawson told the board those enrollment increases did not lead to higher participation in the state's alternate-assessment program because federal law limits alternate-assessment participation to 1% of the tested population. He said Delaware adopted a new identification tool after the state was placed under corrective action, which reduced the number qualifying for alternate assessments and alternate diplomas.

"To comply with the federal requirement, Delaware had to create a new alternate assessment identification tool that significantly reduced the number of students who qualified to participate," Lawson said, noting Brandywine met the 1% cap since 2018 while the state as a whole had been in corrective action.

District leaders described the practical consequences: the district now asks 99.6% of its student population to take grade-level assessments for state reporting, while eligibility for the alternate achievement diploma has fallen by roughly two-thirds since 2018. The superintendent framed this as a compliance and policy challenge rather than a classroom recommendation, explaining the state and federal limits that govern identification and the risk of sanctions if a district exceeds the 1% threshold.

The board was also reminded of upcoming public engagement tied to a separate governance process: a board workshop on December 8 featuring co-chairs of the Redding consortium and a scheduled final vote on a governance model on December 16, 2025. Lawson encouraged families and stakeholders to attend the December 8 session for detailed discussion and an opportunity for public comment.

The board did not take policy action on special-education eligibility at the meeting; the presentation served as a data briefing and an informational precursor to future discussions.