District report: special education share of students rose to 13.97 percent, officials say

At the board meeting, Dr. Dixon Seaman, director of student equity and access, flagged an increase in the district’s special education child count: 13.97% of learners were reported as qualifying for special services as of Dec. 1, up from about 12.07% at the same point last year.

Seaman corrected a line in the written report that had been summarized as a 3% increase, clarifying that the increase is approximately 2 percentage points. “So when you put that in perspective, I just kinda pulled some data. In 2018, we were at about 9.65 percent of our learners. And so now we're at 13.97. So that is an increase,” he said, and added that the district is roughly on par with the state percentage.

Board members pressed whether the rise reflected changes in identification or parents moving into the district for services. Seaman said the district has not changed the classification criteria; instead, he pointed to two likely contributors: improved program offerings (which can make the district a destination for families whose children already qualify) and a shift in process toward a centralized referral system that has streamlined identification and referral.

Seaman said the district will continue reviewing the data and emphasized the intent to ensure students receive appropriate services. The report highlighted family learning modules and other equity initiatives that the department has rolled out as part of the district strategic plan.

The board did not take a policy vote on the matter; the presentation provided data and invited further monitoring and questions.