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Parents and unions press Rialto board to strengthen special education supports and increase classroom aides
Summary
Multiple parents and union representatives urged the board to withdraw or revise a proposed special education policy and to provide more trained paraprofessionals and campus safety staff. Speakers described long delays in IEP responses and accessibility problems affecting students with disabilities.
Parents, student leaders and labor representatives used public comment time at the Rialto Unified School District Board meeting to press trustees for stronger special education practices, clearer timelines for IEPs and more classroom supports.
Several parents asked the board to remove or substantially revise agenda item E‑1.5, a proposed special education policy or local plan. Sandra Aguilar said her son and family have endured five years of delayed support and alleged harmful treatment; she told the board, “Yo voy a seguir luchando por los derechos que ustedes le han robado a mi hijo y a mi familia” and asked for an apology and meaningful corrective action. Mira Ruiz and Ana González echoed concerns about lack of timely communication, unresolved drainage issues that make disability-accessible bathrooms unusable, and requests for mandatory staff training.
Mirna Ruiz urged the board to specify what data the superintendent will provide annually under the policy’s paragraph 7, arguing that the phrase "any information" is too vague to hold the district accountable and recommending more frequent review than the proposed every‑three‑years cycle. Ruiz asked the board to convene a committee including parents and specialists to help rewrite the policy.
Union representatives pushed for more classroom aides, non‑instructional staff and campus safety personnel, saying teachers are stretched thin and that the district should prioritize hires now rather than delaying until future budgets. Cristina Acosta, president of CSA (the union for non‑instructional employees), said: “Las asistentes de enseñanza son las que mantienen el salón ... No se puede aprender cuando se tiene temor,” and called for immediate investment in staff and safety measures.
Trustees received the public comments during the first reading of the special education policy and discussed legal limits on how much local language may diverge from the Education Code. Board members said they would accept community recommendations and asked that suggested language be submitted to the superintendent and staff for consideration ahead of subsequent readings.
No formal change to the policy was adopted at the meeting; trustees moved the item through first reading while inviting community input and staff analysis for a later vote.
