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Lakeville reports rising EL and special‑education enrollment, staffing gaps and new mentorship supports
Summary
District staff told the board the EL population is growing, special‑education enrollment is about 2,067 students (roughly 17% of enrollment), and the district is using a weighted 1:35 staffing formula for EL while recruiting to fill roughly 1.0 FTE EL and about 10 special‑education openings.
District Student Services staff presented updated metrics and program work on English learners (EL) and special education, outlining how the data will be used on the board dashboard and what the district is doing to meet growing needs.
Alexia P. Finley, director of special services, said the district is serving about 2,067 students with special‑education support, roughly 17% of enrollment, and described plans to include FastBridge and other measures on a fall/winter/spring dashboard to track individual growth. Karen, the director of student health, safety and wellness (last name redacted in the transcript), explained the ACCESS EL assessment used under federal law, its scoring bands (1–6) and exit criteria based on composite and domain scores.
On staffing, presenters said the district uses a weighted formula—approximately 1:35 with higher weight for recently arrived students—to determine when to add EL positions. They reported about 1.0 total FTE currently open in EL (split across buildings) and roughly 10 open special‑education positions (licensed and non‑licensed). The district said it completed a staffing review, allocated additional positions where understaffed and is recruiting, including interviewing agency candidates and using contracted staff when needed.
The presentation highlighted inclusion strategies—co‑teaching pilots in early childhood through high school, push‑in models during literacy blocks, sheltered classes with dual‑licensed teachers—and a newly expanded mentoring program that matches 10 content mentors with about 55 new student‑services staff.
Board members pressed for clarity on minutes of service, caseload guidelines and whether the district benchmarks against peer districts. Staff said minutes are adjusted by proficiency level and caseloads are reviewed regularly; comparative peer analyses are not yet published but staff can provide regional comparisons.
What’s next: staff will provide follow‑up information on service minutes by proficiency level, peer comparisons and ongoing hiring status.
