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Committee approves bill to codify special education caseloads and class sizes
Summary
HB 621 moved special education caseloads and class‑size limits from regulation into statute, allows small increases when a paraprofessional is present, and preserves the waiver process; committee members asked KDE for rationale and supporting data before the bill goes to the floor.
House Bill 621, which would move special education caseloads and class sizes from Kentucky regulation into statute and define special class time to include part‑day resource settings, advanced from committee to the House floor.
Representative Tina Bojanowski, sponsor, said the bill responds to proposed regulation changes from the Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) and was intended to protect current caseload limits. She explained the bill allows class maximums to increase by two students when a paraprofessional is present, does not change the waiver process for superintendents, and does not affect preschool caseloads or speech‑language pathologist caseloads.
Members asked whether KDE had provided reasons for seeking higher numbers and whether shortages of special education teachers were a driving factor. Bojanowski said waivers and processing delays were cited and that there are no federal guidelines for caseloads; she described the bill as preserving regulatory protections while allowing collaboration with KDE on feasibility. The committee voted to recommend HB 621 for passage on the House floor, and the meeting adjourned.
