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Denton ISD reports enrollment increases in special education and persistent local funding shortfall
Summary
Director Stacy Bonner told trustees the district now serves about 6,000 special education students and roughly 2,800 Section 504 students, with local spending still covering a multi‑million‑dollar gap beyond federal funding.
At the Oct. 28 board meeting, Stacy Bonner, Director of Special Education Evaluation and Compliance, gave trustees a multi-part update on MTSS, Section 504 and special education services and enrollment.
"As of this morning, ... special education, we are officially at 6,000 students," Bonner said, and she reported the district is serving more than 2,800 students under Section 504 and nearly 5,400 students through intervention services. Bonner noted nearly 1,200 students are in the MTSS process and that about 17.14% of district students are identified under IDEA.
Bonner and Michelle Brown, coordinator of Intervention Services, explained that the district’s counts have shifted in part because dyslexia was moved into special education earlier this year. Trustees asked for clarification on whether self‑contained counts reflected students in those placements for 60% or more of the day; Bonner said the district uses that 60% threshold for the self‑contained metric.
Board members and staff also discussed funding. Trustees were told the district continues to rely heavily on local dollars for special education; the presentation referenced an approximate $9,000,000 delta last year between federal funding received and the cost to provide services. The presenters said federal funds exist but are not sufficient to cover the district’s full special education costs.
Trustees and staff requested additional data points — for example, tracking evaluations and services provided to non‑enrolled or out‑of‑district students who receive services on Denton ISD campuses — to inform planning once school‑choice changes take effect next year. No board votes were taken; the item was informational and will inform future budgeting and parent engagement efforts.
