Brazosport ISD reports special education enrollment rise to about 19% and outlines supports

Lauren Furlough, the district’s executive director of special services, presented the special education program evaluation required under Texas’ House Bill 2. She told the board that the district currently serves about 2,028 students in special education—roughly 19% of BISD enrollment—and reviewed how eligibility areas break down and how recent state policy changes have increased identification in some categories.

Key points: The largest eligibility category is specific learning disability (31%), followed by autism (18%) and speech or language impairment (14%). Furlough noted dyslexia’s formal integration into special education under recent legislative changes has increased identification and enrollment numbers across the state and locally. The district’s average performance level for special education remains around PL1 under TEA’s Results Driven Accountability system, which the presenter said indicates appropriate programming and supports.

Supports and compliance: The special‑services office described a full continuum of services (early childhood through 21, resource and self-contained settings, transition programming) and related services (speech, OT/PT, counseling). The district highlighted professional development, an apprenticeship/residency structure for new teachers, family resource fairs and community partnerships meant to improve outcomes and reduce dispute risk.

Next steps: The district will continue training, monitoring under RDA, and family engagement events; the presenter said TEA is expanding complaint capacity and implementing a new service‑intensity funding model, which the district will monitor for future budget and programming impacts.