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Special-education enrollment up; district expanding in-house programming and planning 2026 plan update
Summary
District special‑education staff reported about 768 students in the December 1 count, growing autistic-support enrollment, near‑capacity elementary classes, expanded in‑house programming, and a required special‑education plan renewal by 2026 that will form a steering committee with stakeholders.
Conestoga Valley School District officials briefed the board on April 14 about special‑education enrollment and programming, reporting that the district’s December 1 count showed about 768 students receiving special education services.
Dr. Ham, who delivered the presentation, said the district provides a range of in‑house supports — learning support, Foundations (a more intensive learning-support tier), autistic support, life‑skills classrooms and speech/language therapy — and continues to partner with IU 13 and other providers for center‑based and therapeutic placements. "Our December 1 count for this year is about 768 students receiving special education services," Dr. Ham said.
The district has shifted over recent years toward providing more programming in‑house rather than relying solely on partners; Dr. Ham said that has increased capacity and control but that certain placements still require outside partners. He noted autistic‑support classrooms at the elementary level are near capacity and that continued growth will likely require additional middle‑ and high‑school classrooms in the near future.
Staff described compliance, data‑driven decision making and aligning K–12 programming as priorities. Dr. Ham said the current special‑education plan expires in 2026; the district will form a steering committee this fall — including board representatives, parents, teachers and possibly students — to draft the next three‑year plan, which must be approved by the board.
Board members asked whether the district had encountered placement capacity issues this year; Dr. Ham said there have been cases where external placements were unavailable and the district reached out to multiple partners inside and outside the county to secure services.
