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Rockingham special education plan cites $1.35 million increase and hires to support students
Summary
District officials presented the annual special education plan to the board, documenting corrective-action work from a VDOE audit and reporting roughly $1.35 million in new federal, state and local funds plus planned staffing increases.
Mr. Bryant presented the Rockingham County Public Schools' annual special education plan as an information item, summarizing recent VDOE audit findings, corrective actions and budget implications.
He told the board that Virginia's Department of Education conducted a multi-phase review and produced a corrective action plan listing seven areas for improvement; the district characterized those as "very doable." As part of the new plan, Bryant said the division has secured about $350,000 in additional federal funding, about $700,000 in additional state funding, and roughly $300,000 in additional local funding, for a combined total of approximately $1,350,000 to meet identified needs.
Bryant also described planned staffing additions tied to that funding: eight new teachers (including approved coaches and itinerant teachers) and 20 new paraprofessionals to support early childhood and classroom needs. He noted that special education enrollment is about 11% of the division's student population, a figure near but slightly above a common target around 10%.
Board members asked whether the same plan will be brought back for formal approval at a future meeting; Bryant confirmed the plan will return for a vote at the next meeting. The presentation emphasized compliance with IDEA and VDOE maintenance-of-effort expectations requiring the division to spend at least as much on special education as the prior year.
The item was presented as information only; the board did not take formal action on the plan tonight.
