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Board adopts SELPA local plan, approves $279 million special-education budget
Summary
The San Francisco Board of Education adopted the SELPA local plan and a proposed special-education budget that increases district general-fund support and prioritizes hiring school-based special-education staff while reducing reliance on contractors.
The Board of Education adopted the SELPA local plan and the accompanying special-education budget after a public hearing and presentations from the district's SELPA director and CAC representatives. The adopted plan funds site-based special-education staffing and expands recruitment for roles including school psychologists, speech-and-language pathologists, occupational and physical therapists, and paraeducators.
SELPA director Regina Piper told the board the proposed budget reflects a larger, more realistic accounting of special-education needs than prior projections and increases district general-fund support to about $184.4 million of the roughly $279 million funding picture. Piper said the plan reduces the district's reliance on non-public agencies by $10 million and invests in hiring more in-house staff to provide services directly to students.
Julia Martin, the districtombudsperson, described the SELPA service plan and said the district now serves approximately 7,004 SFUSD students with individualized education programs (IEPs); 66.5% of those students spend most of the school day in general-education settings. The SELPA and CAC presentations cited persistently low proficiency rates for many students with disabilities and recommended strengthened multi-tiered systems of support, earlier intervention, and clearer family-facing guidance (for example, a family-friendly dyslexia guide).
CAC chair Hava Kelly urged adoption and asked the board to ensure the district implements the plan's staffing, data, and inclusion measures. Several CAC members and parent advocates spoke in favor during public comment, arguing the budget and plan are necessary to provide legally required services and to restore trust after recent disruptions in special-education services.
In roll-call voting, the board approved the SELPA local plan by recorded vote (6 ayes). The plan will now be submitted consistent with state requirements and district timelines.
The board's action closes the public-hearing step; implementation tasks listed by staff include continued recruitment, filling vacancies, strengthening data systems to report IEP progress, and a plan to reduce non-public placements by expanding district capacity. The SELPA pledged to return to the board with progress updates and any contract actions for non-district providers.
