Board orders comprehensive review of ESE caseloads after public testimony on excessive workloads

A week after public commenters described excessive special education and speech‑language pathology caseloads, the Leon County School Board voted to direct the superintendent to conduct a comprehensive analysis of ESE caseloads and related staffing issues and return the findings at a workshop by June 30.

Board Chair Marcus Nicholas moved the directive; the motion was seconded by board member Ms. Smith and passed (recorded vote "Passes 5 0"). The requested analysis will examine caseload size and composition, staffing capacity, service intensity relative to student needs, legal and compliance risk, consistency across schools and student groups, student outcomes, financial sustainability, and recommendations for next steps.

Speakers during the public comment period described untenable workloads: Lisa Hill said she currently carries 57 students without para support and noted best practice guidelines of roughly 20–25 resource students per teacher. Speech‑language pathologists and other ESE staff said years of added documentation and responsibilities have increased hours outside the school day, with some retirees reporting caseloads of 100–155 at peak.

The board framed the directive as a data-driven step to evaluate staffing and compliance risk before considering programmatic or budget cuts. The superintendent and legal staff advised that the board is responsible for budget and closure votes and that staff would produce the requested report for board review.

The analysis is to be presented at a workshop and returned to trustees by June 30, 2026.