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Special‑education update: Ortiz reports rising classifications, 83% in‑district services and pressure from outplacements
Summary
At the April meeting special‑education lead Mister Ortiz told the board about a ~16.8% classification rate, 83% of services offered in‑district, 57 students qualifying for extended school year (9 to be sent), and growing behavioral and medically fragile needs; the district is seeking counsel on services to age 22.
Mister Ortiz, introduced by the board as the district’s special‑education department representative, told the Bath Central School District board the district currently classifies about 16–17% of students for special education and provides roughly 83% of programming in‑district.
"We classify around 16 percent of our students," Ortiz said. "Total this year, we have a little under 1,300 students, K–12."
Ortiz gave a detailed program breakdown: approximately 1.9% of students are on an alternative assessment (requiring an annual justification because the district is above the 1% threshold), preschool CSE enrollment moved from about 30 to 32 after recent approvals, and total referrals this year numbered 26 — of those, 15 resulted in classification, 4 did not qualify and 7 remain pending the 60‑day process.
He described in‑district clusters (for example, autism programming concentrated in the VEW building and additional placements in Dana Lions and the high school) and confirmed some students are served through BOCES placements and two students are placed at Mary Cariola in Rochester.
On summer programming Ortiz said ESY (extended school year) is expanding: 57 students district‑wide qualify; the district plans to send 9 to ESY programs, including some students to Phoenix Academy or host sites. Ortiz emphasized transportation is provided regardless of where a qualifying student lives.
Ortiz also flagged rising behavioral and medically fragile student needs, including an expensive classroom that requires high staffing levels (he cited a room of 12 students with up to 11 staff at times). He said these trends, paired with declining enrollment, have pushed classification rates upward as a share of the student body.
The presentation included a regulatory question: Ortiz said a recent letter from State Ed and a conference speaker (Chris Seriano) suggested obligations to provide services through age 22, but he also reported district counsel advised there is no clear New York State legislative or financial requirement to do so. Ortiz said he sent the State Ed letter to the district attorney for review and will report back with counsel’s guidance.
Ortiz concluded with planned next steps to improve services and efficiency: streamlining the MTSS referral process for behavior, expanding co‑teaching and integrated services (consultant teacher/resource room adjustments), and additional professional development and instructional coaching.
The board took the presentation as an information item and moved on to routine consent and personnel business.
