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Parents and staff urge District 20 to restore special‑education paraprofessionals and review recent staffing reallocations
Summary
During public comment, multiple speakers accused the district of cutting special-education paras and reallocating positions in ways that harm students; they asked the board to form a review committee and restore paraprofessional positions.
Eleven members of the public addressed the board during the meeting’s public‑comment period. Several speakers described staffing reductions in special education, urged the board to review recent budgetary decisions, and recounted individual student impacts.
Veronica Baker, identifying herself as a parent and taxpayer, said District 20 accounted for eight special-education lawsuits in 2024, ‘‘14% of all cases statewide,’’ and argued the district has been releasing experienced teachers and paras while leaving higher‑level administrators in place without similar accountability. Baker said the district’s reliance on contractors and online providers for speech, social and psychological services is ineffective for students…
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