Bullhead City School Board approves budget revision, adds preschool special‑education staff after Child Find briefing

Bullhead City School Board members on Sept. 16 heard a detailed Child Find briefing from Kate Hall, then approved a revised fiscal‑year 2026 budget and personnel additions to expand preschool special‑education capacity.

Kate Hall, who led the district’s Child Find presentation, told the board that Child Find is a federal requirement under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and “requires that we locate, identify, and evaluate all children with disabilities for age birth to 21.” She said the Bullhead City School District’s preschool program is experiencing rising demand, particularly for speech delays, and that her team performed “almost 200 evaluations last year” with about 150 net active/new evaluations that required follow up.

Hall described the district’s multi‑step screening process: a 45‑day screener for new enrollees, referrals to a teacher assistance team for targeted interventions, monthly preschool screening days, coordination with AzIP (birth‑to‑3 referrals) and consultations with private and parochial schools, pediatricians and community partners. Because Bullhead City is a preK–8 district, Hall said the district’s Child Find responsibility is focused on ages 3 through eighth grade, while birth‑to‑3 cases are referred into early…