Parents, advocates urge independent audit of PGCPS special-education after repeated complaints

Several parents, advocates and a former board member urged Prince George's County Public Schools on Dec. 1 to commission an independent external audit of the district’s special-education system, alleging repeated compliance failures and data discrepancies that have harmed students.

At the public-comment portion of the meeting, Teresa Smith identified a numerical discrepancy in a prior special-education presentation (one slide showed a total population of 17,125 while a follow-up slide sum by disability code came to 15,472 — a gap of 1,653). Smith said the grouping of infants and toddlers (IFSPs) with older IEP counts may explain part of the gap but argued that reporting that leaves families guessing requires clearer data and stronger staff training.

“Because the data group birth to age 5 together, we are left guessing the numbers,” Smith said, asking the board to request an independent external audit to identify root causes and to advocate for legislation requiring mandatory external audits for LEAs designated high risk.

Jocelyn Rau, a former at-large board member and mental-health professional, said a medically fragile foster daughter has endured repeated wheelchair damage while in district transportation (seven incidents), including a day an aide kicked and broke a wheelchair. Rau said the family had to buy a backup wheelchair and called for mandatory training on wheelchair safety, disability awareness and trauma‑informed care, stronger accountability and an expanded Office of the Ombudsman to track special-education cases alongside families.

Dr. Bridal Patrick, a senior disability-rights policy lead who identified herself as a PGCPS graduate and former special-education director, told the board the district leads the state in special-education complaints and described delays, inconsistent services and decisions that do not comply with federal law. She said internal reviews are inadequate and that lived experience must be elevated in any audit.

Why it matters: multiple speakers said repeated noncompliance has real consequences — missed services, parental time lost to appeals, additional family costs and student regression — and argued that internal reviews by the same office responsible for operations cannot be relied upon to correct systemwide failures.

What they asked: requests included an independent external systems review (not an internal review), mandatory training for transportation and staff involved with IEPs, legislative advocacy for required external audits for high-risk LEAs, and expanded ombudsman authority to receive, track and follow special-education complaints.

District response: Dr. Joseph and staff did not announce a formal commitment to an external audit in the hearing transcript, but the superintendent acknowledged receipt of concerns and the board heard these requests during the public-comment period.

What’s next: commenters asked the board to act through oversight, to request precise data clarifications, and to pursue external review and legislative remedies; the transcript records the public pleas and the board's obligation to consider follow-up action in future oversight and committee work.