Parents question $15 million in nonpublic special‑education placements; district says IEPs drive choices

At the April 26 meeting the public and several board members raised questions about a consent calendar item proposing more than $15 million for nonpublic special‑education placements.

Speaker Linda Flack asked the board to "look at the list" in the packet and questioned whether the district had chosen the best or most local providers, noting examples from the packet that include programs in Chester County, Pennsylvania; Wichita, Kansas; Provo, Utah; and Devereaux, Florida. She asked whether the district could develop more in‑district capacity rather than paying for distant boarding placements.

Deputy Superintendent Myung Le responded that placements are driven by IEP determinations and, in some cases, coordinated with county behavioral‑health orders. She told the board staff will follow up with a breakdown of the students covered by the item, the racial and disability makeup, and the specific programs offered at each institution. Board members asked staff to include why distant placements were chosen and whether there is a bidding or procurement process; legal and special‑education staff explained that many placements are individualized and sometimes selected through due‑process decisions or when local programs cannot meet very specialized needs.

The board voted on the consent calendar and approved the package; commissioners asked staff for the additional data and for clarifications about program types and the district’s plan to reduce out‑of‑district placements where possible.