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Trustees hear special-education overhaul plans and question costly nonpublic placements
Summary
A multi-part special-education presentation described IEP timelines, a 17% special-education population and efforts to streamline supports. Trustees and the public pressed staff on bilingual assessments, identification of speech/language needs among emerging bilinguals, in-house capacity, and one nonpublic-school placement costing about $105,884 annually.
Dr. Yadira Moreno and Senior Director Kristin Cinco presented the first of a three-part series on special education at the Anaheim Elementary School District board meeting on March 11, detailing referral pathways, assessment timelines, program changes and efforts to strengthen partnerships with families.
Moreno said the district serves about 13,876 students and reported approximately 2,337 students with IEPs (about 17% of the student population). Kristin Cinco described referral sources (parents ~42%, school staff, and community agencies including Regional Center) and explained assessment timelines: a required response within 15 calendar days after a parent request and an assessment-team meeting within 60 calendar days after written consent (with specified holiday pauses). They described restructuring of specialist assignments, strengthened MTSS coordination, and logistical changes intended to make IEP interactions more understandable for families.
Trustees raised several technical concerns during Q&A. One trustee observed that speech-and-language identification represents roughly 43% of the district's special-education caseload and asked whether that is driven in part by students who are emerging bilinguals. Cinco said bilingual assessment and consideration of home language are part of the process and that the district uses bilingual specialists (primarily Spanish) or contracts for other languages when needed. "We absolutely need to make sure we're considering [home language] so we're not inappropriately identifying disability versus second-language learning," she said.
During consent-agenda discussion trustees pulled several SELPA items for public explanation. Staff described an increase to a nonpublic-school (NPS) contract for a single student that resulted in a revised total of approximately $105,884 for that placement (tuition/placement, transportation, speech services, 1:1 aide, meals). Staff said such contracts are reviewed annually at IEP reviews and that Orange County SELPA sets nonpublic-school rates and reviews fair-market values; the district reported efforts to transition some students back into district-operated programs when appropriate.
Public comment earlier in the meeting also included allegations about board appointments and requests for a legal defense fund for families; staff answered that the district cannot set aside public funds for family legal defense (it would be a gift of public funds) but described existing referral pathways to legal advice and community partners. The board discussed training, staff capacity for bilingual assessments, and future presentations to provide deeper data on outcomes and per-student costs.
What the board asked for next Trustees requested follow-up materials including counts of bilingual speech pathologists, a clearer breakdown of special-education costs (staff said roughly $51,000 per special-education student vs. about $21,000 for non-special-education on average, given as an approximate figure), and future presentations about what interventions and services are in place after eligibility determinations.
