At the meeting the Haddon Township School District detailed a broad update on special education services, citing rising classification counts, new in-district classroom capacity and programmatic steps to support transitions to adult services.

A district special education leader told the board the district has 389 students classified midyear and "anticipate[s] will probably be over 400 by the end of the school year." The speaker said about 15 students are currently in evaluation and that several students have returned from out-of-district placements in the past two years, which the presenter described as evidence the district can meet more needs locally.

The presentation outlined program types and recent additions: inclusion/co-teaching models, resource pull-outs, self-contained classes, and a new middle-school multiple disabilities classroom opened in September 2025. The presenter cited capacity pressures in preschool inclusion classes and listed specific headcounts: "about 26 students in our preschool or in our self contained preschool classes," "36 students in self contained language and learning class or a multiple disabilities class," and "236 students" referenced in the broader service continuum. The transcript does not clarify whether the 236 figure denotes total special education enrollment or a subset; the presenter described most students receiving instruction in inclusion and small-group settings.

The district emphasized transition planning for students approaching age 21, including a forthcoming "lunch and learn" with developmental disabilities services and proactive outreach by high-school case managers to postsecondary programs to secure supports for accepted students.

Program features highlighted hands-on, project-based learning (greenhouse work, a simulated restaurant) and life-skills/pre-vocational instruction focused on routine and responsibility rather than job training for young students. The presenter noted rising costs in related services (one-on-one aides, speech services, equipment) and said those increases are difficult to distill to a single percentage because of variability across service types.

Board members asked clarifying questions about club participation and program details; the presenter confirmed students can participate in clubs and described ongoing attention to arrival/departure safety, behavior supports, and speech/therapist resources.