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School board approves $1.54 million special education annual plan; federal grants to fund teacher salaries and services
Summary
The board approved the 2026–27 special education annual plan and authorized the superintendent to sign the application for $1,538,666.78 in federal IDEA Title VI Part B funds — including $1,366,713 for K–22 personnel, $34,471 for preschool (Section 619), and $69,971 for regional jail education — noting a 30-student increase to 684 and a jump in contracted evaluation staff.
Miss Sperling presented the Warren County Public Schools 2026–27 Special Education Annual Plan, which the board approved and directed the superintendent to sign for submission to the Virginia Department of Education.
She said the division’s December 1 child count recorded 684 students with disabilities, a 30-student increase over the prior year, and that the top disability categories were other health impairment, autism and specific learning disability. Miss Sperling said contracted staff required to conduct specialized evaluations rose from 5 to 14 over the previous year, creating a fiscal impact. She outlined the plan components and requested approval to submit the application that totals $1,538,666.78.
Key funding breakdowns presented by Miss Sperling included Section 619 preschool application for $34,471 to fund a portion of an early childhood special education teacher’s salary; Section 611 school-age application for $1,366,713 to cover salaries for 21 special education teachers; regional jail education funds of $69,971 (half-time jail educator plus related materials and travel); and a proportionate set-aside of $67,511.78 for parentally placed private-school and homeschooled eligible children (average allocation $2,493.48 per eligible child). She noted the division met the maintenance-of-effort requirement with local plus state spending totaling $10,544,702.
Board members asked clarifying questions and then moved, seconded and approved the annual plan and the superintendent’s authority to sign. The approval allows the district to apply for these federal funds; final award amounts will be contingent on VDOE decisions and may require later budget adjustments.
The board’s action was procedural: it authorized submission of the annual plan and certification that the division will meet the plan assurances required under IDEA. Miss Sperling said the application must be submitted to the VDOE by the stated deadline and that the district will adjust amounts if the VDOE requires changes to the award.
