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Petersburg special‑education plan proposes 15% CCEIS set‑aside after data show disproportionate suspensions
Summary
Director Danny Kustelow presented the IDEA 611 and preschool 619 annual plan, reporting a December 1 count of 486 students with disabilities and an estimated $1.3M in IDEA 611 funds; he said the division will set aside 15% for Coordinated Early Intervening Services to address disproportionate disciplinary outcomes.
Danny Kustelow, director of special education for Petersburg City Public Schools, presented the division’s IDEA 611 and preschool 619 annual plan and laid out the planned allocation and set‑aside for Coordinated Early Intervening Services (CCEIS).
Kustelow said the district’s December 1 count identified 486 students with disabilities and that the preliminary allocation for the K–12 IDEA 611 portion is approximately $1.3 million, with roughly $333,000 earmarked for preschool services under 619. He said the application will be submitted to the Virginia Department of Education following board review.
Explaining the CCEIS set‑aside, Kustelow said data show students with disabilities in the division experience disproportionately severe discipline outcomes. "Our data had indicated... we're 3 times more than likely to suspend students with disabilities and their non‑disabled peers," he said, and later added that for suspensions longer than 10 days the disparity is "roughly around 7 and a half times more likely." Because of that data trend the plan sets aside 15% of the award for early intervention work to support tier 1 and tier 2 services and, where needed, tier 3 supports.
Kustelow described the planned use of funds: support for personnel and benefits, purchase services and related materials, targeted services in private schools and early‑childhood settings, and initiatives to address root causes of disproportionality through culturally responsive practices and improved school‑wide climate. He said a committee of administrators, teachers, parents and central office staff will guide how set‑aside funds are used.
Board members asked clarifying questions about timing and receipt of funds; Kustelow and staff said allocations are reported with a data lag and that the award’s actual upload date to the division’s accounts typically occurs in July. The presentation concludes with the plan submitted for board review and next steps toward final approval and submission to VDOE.
