Elk Grove Unified spotlights special education gains as parents press for clearer data and stronger inclusion

Anne Regali, speaking for Elk Grove Unifieds special education team, told the school board the district served 10,506 students in special education this year and that about 70% of those students receive services in general education settings. Regali outlined program expansions, including increased preschool assessments, partnerships with Alta Regional Center, paid work experiences that rose to 183 students, and plans to expand co-teaching and multi-tiered systems of support (MTSS).

The presentation called out persistent challenges: the district reported a low A-G completion rate for students receiving services (the presentation cited roughly 14% in one chart), ongoing work to reduce IEP timelines and a plan to add two behaviorists to level programs. Regali said staff will continue training and "track the data" to determine how co-teaching and other strategies affect course access.

Public commenters, many speaking during the boards public comment period, said the presentation was useful but insufficient without school-site breakdowns and clearer accountability measures. Tijuana Barnes, who identified herself as president of the Sacramento NAACP, urged the board to address what she called ongoing racism in district schools and to follow up after a derogatory learning material was provided to students. "Children will be my priority over my administration," Barnes said, adding that families fear retaliation if students speak out.

An incoming high-school senior, Callie Lloyd, described being benched from her varsity volleyball team and said school handling of the incident left her feeling marginalized. "I was confused. I have never been the type of athlete to be unsportsmanlike," Lloyd said, recounting a meeting where she said the coach and teammates did not solicit her perspective.

Representatives of EG Speaks and the districts Community Advisory Committee recommended more transparent, site-level data on inclusion and outcomes, clearer criteria for measuring training effectiveness, accessible therapeutic supports, and consistent paraeducator training. One commenter noted that slide materials initially suggested only secondary teachers would get preservice universal-access training; district staff clarified that was an error and said the referenced training is for all teachers.

Board members pressed staff on the A-G gap, paraeducator retention and training schedules, and facility accommodations at specialized campuses. A district staffer said the team is exploring credit-recovery and scheduling options to expand access to A-G courses and will prepare more detailed analyses for future presentations.

The board did not take formal action on special education during the meeting; staff said further budget and LCAP materials related to these priorities will return for consideration at the June 24 meeting.