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Beech Grove outlines in-house behavior education plan, says fewer students require off-site placements
Summary
The district described a shift from cooperative placements toward in-district special education services, including a new K–6 behavior education program, staffing adjustments, and expected cost savings from returning students from RISE Learning Center.
Amy Reeves, director of exceptional learners for Beech Grove City Schools, presented the district’s special education program on June 3 and described plans to expand in-district services so more students can learn in their home schools.
Reeves reviewed the district’s previous participation in a cooperative for special services and said Beech Grove decentralized in 2018 to provide more local control and access. “Our responsibility is to provide the most appropriate services in the most appropriate least restrictive environment,” Reeves said, describing the district’s continuum from general-education inclusion through essential-skills classrooms to more restrictive placements such as RISE Learning Center.
She outlined a new behavior education program (K–6) intended to provide intermediate, school-based supports so fewer students require full-day placements elsewhere. That program will be phased in using current caseload data; Reeves said Central Intermediate will be a primary rollout site and that the district will deploy a mix of special-education teachers and paraprofessionals rather than adding net new staff in most cases.
Reeves and administration discussed funding: the district receives federal Part B funds and state per-student reimbursements by eligibility category, and Medicaid billing covers some related services. The board heard an example showing the district sometimes pays RISE Learning Center tuition of around $37,000 per student, creating a material funding gap between local cost and available federal/state reimbursements.
Reeves reported progress on reducing outplacements: the district had 30 students at RISE at one point and plans to start the next year with 18. She said bringing students back into district programs both improves access to peer modeling and generates savings that help fund in-house services.
Why it matters: expanding in-district options can improve inclusion and reduce high-cost external placements. Administration said the district will continue to monitor caseloads, update staffing and share detailed numbers with the board electronically.
What’s next: Reeves will distribute updated staffing and caseload data; the board will review ongoing special-education funding and maintenance-of-effort requirements tied to Part B grants.
