SCUC ISD reports rising special education caseloads and funding shortfalls
Get AI-powered insights, summaries, and transcripts
Subscribe
Summary
District special education officials said the number of students served has increased to 3,096, in part due to dyslexia policy changes; staff reported full compliance in recent TEA audit but warned that state and federal dollars do not fully cover expenditures and that staffing shortages persist.
The district’s special education director presented an annual state‑of‑the‑department report, describing a trend of rising caseloads, increased intensity of needs and persistent funding shortfalls.
Miss Chang Ponce told trustees the department supports about 3,096 students and the district employs 189 special education teachers and 173 paraprofessionals. She traced part of the increase to statewide policy changes: updates to the Texas dyslexia handbook in 2022 and again in 2023 resulted in more students being evaluated through and served by special education rather than through 504 plans.
Chang Ponce said SCUC ISD has been 100% compliant on the four TEA special education compliance indicators over the past four years and also passed a recent cyclical desk audit. However, the presentation showed that state and local funding for special education does not cover all expenditures and that staffing shortages—especially for specialized providers—remain a challenge.
Board members asked about staffing pipelines and grants to support paraprofessionals becoming teachers; staff said they are pursuing partnerships with higher‑education programs and grant opportunities. Trustees were also told to expect further guidance from the legislature and TEA related to annual reporting requirements and performance indicators.