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District outlines 1404 special-education program, timeline and inclusive playground plan
Summary
District staff presented a data-driven special education update (special ed enrollment up to 478 students, 19.6% of enrollment), previewed a remodeled '1404' building to house 14-04 programs including an 18–22 life-skills program, and described a proposed community-inclusive playground estimated at roughly $850,000-plus to be funded by grants and donations.
Presenter (S4) gave a detailed special education briefing and facility plan. Key data: the district’s special education child count rose from 393 in 2020 to 478 (noted as the 2024/2025 count), moving the special education share to about 19.6% of enrollment (the presenter compared this to a statewide average near 19%). Presenter S4 highlighted especially large increases in speech and language impairment (noted in the slide as an increase from 30 students in 2020 to 80 in 2024) and in autism (59 to 76 over the same period). S4 said causes could include improved screening/hiring of speech pathologists, changes in family requests for services, or pandemic-era developmental impacts; S4 noted additional hiring is underway but that some roles remain hard to fill.
Facility and timeline: S4 walked the board through floor plans for the '1404' building to host special education programs (life-skills lab/kitchen, sensory rooms, staff and dean office spaces, an IT room and multiple adaptable classrooms). S4 said the design and timeline from contractor Kraus Anderson anticipate submission to the board in July, further board review in September, bidding Sept.15–Oct.3, board approval Oct.13, construction start around Oct.27, and hoped completion by May (following year). S4 also said June 30, 2026 is the district’s last day with the Northland Learning Center (NLC) as a provider, and that the district sent formal notice to the NLC in mid-June.
Staffing and budget context: S4 listed prioritized hires and roles (school psychologist, early-childhood special ed coordinator, speech-language pathologist, occupational therapist, custodial services, and a coordinator/dean) and said many positions are already funded through payments to NLC and will shift to district employees rather than being wholly new costs. Board members asked about counts of students currently at NLC; S4 said over 40 level-4 students are at NLC and that family decisions will determine final enrollments at the new program.
Inclusive playground: S4 presented concept images and preliminary cost estimates for a community-inclusive playground adjacent to the 1404 building. Initial pricing from a vendor (Compad/landscape-structures) was cited at "between $850,000 and up," with much of the cost driven by turf prep and removal of existing parking-area subbase; S4 said the district does not have funding and will pursue grants, donations and naming opportunities. S4 said pricing from additional vendors was pending and local contractors or donated services could lower the estimate.
What's next: The district plans community meetings (Sept/Oct), enrollment outreach (November), job postings January, interviews Feb–May, and an open house in May. S4 said staff will return with refined bids, hiring plans and projected budgets for the transition.
