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Hendry County leaders weigh charging preschool fees, restructuring inclusion classes as special‑needs enrollments climb
Summary
District staff told the school board that rising numbers of students with disabilities are straining pre‑K inclusion classrooms. Officials outlined options — a proposed $100/week fee for non‑funded general‑education preschool peers, consolidation of remote classrooms, or moving toward smaller, self‑contained classes for higher‑need students — and said a formal proposal will return for a January vote.
Superintendent (Speaker 2) and district early‑learning staff told the Hendry County School Board Tuesday that a sharp increase in students with disabilities is stressing the district’s inclusion pre‑K model and imposing growing local costs.
Staff outlined the current inclusion model and the district’s fiscal exposure: inclusion pre‑K classrooms typically mix general‑education peers with students receiving exceptional student education (ESE) services (presented as an example mix of 8 general‑education to 12 ESE students). "We have 11 teachers in inclusion preschool and 22 paraprofessionals," staff said, and noted that general‑education preschool peers do not generate state funding for the district.
Why it matters: officials said the district is covering…
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