Board hears update on Lansing Lions/Alliance Center special-education partnership

The Lansing School Board received an update on a proposed Lansing Lions/Alliance Center partnership with Greenbush to operate a 20-slot special-education program, of which 10 slots would be reserved for Lansing students.

A representative said program costs were recently revised downward and that year-one district costs were estimated at $269,600 after partner revenues. The representative described the program as K–8 (currently operating K–8 in practice) and said placement would be decided by an IEP team. "We have the capacity for 10 of those slots. So it's 20 slots total," the presenter said.

Board members pressed on oversight and accountability because Greenbush staff would be employees of the partner organization and evaluated by Greenbush. District officials said the district is a paying customer and could discontinue the agreement if the program did not meet expectations; they also described an IEP-based transition and quarterly progress reporting to ensure progress and potential return to less-restrictive settings.

Members asked about transportation funding for partner districts' students (sending districts pay for their students) and about how Greenbush engages parents and maintains academic standards across mixed ages. The presenter said Greenbush conducts onboarding, tours and frequent communication with families and that the district will collaborate on capacity and program tweaks.

No formal board action was taken; members requested follow-up details about staffing, curriculum materials and right-of-first-refusal for additional slots beyond the district's 10 reserved slots.