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Lake Forest board hears plan to centralize special-education services in new Compass program
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Summary
District staff proposed 'Compass,' a plan to create an 18–22 transition program, a K–3 deep-support (D) setting, and an expanded Highroads K–12 program. Officials said the program aims to keep complex-needs students in-district, generate state funding units and reduce out‑of‑district tuition costs.
At its April 23 meeting at Lake Forest High School, the Lake Forest School District presented a multi-part plan called "Compass" to expand services for students with complex special-education needs. District staff said the proposal would create an 18–22 transition program focused on employment and independent-living skills, a separate K–3 deep-support (D) setting for students with the most intensive needs, and an expanded Highroads program to serve K–12 students requiring structured behavioral supports.
The Compass plan, presented by Michelle, the district's program lead, outlines a phased enrollment and staffing model. Michelle said the district currently anticipates about eight students who could use the 18–22 program this year, projects a near-term increase to about 14 students, and expects to serve roughly 22 students as the program matures. "We have about 8 students who could potentially stay," she said, "and by the third year we predict an additional 8 students with a total of 22 students." She described an initial staffing model of one teacher and two paraprofessionals for the 18–22 cohort and proposed a separate administrator to oversee consolidated services once state-funded unit thresholds are met.
District officials highlighted partnerships and potential community employers, noting current internships with local businesses. The superintendent and program staff said consolidating services would allow the district to retain state tuition dollars currently paid to other districts and to control the educational content for those students. Finance staff gave a numerical example: two students currently served out of district faced tuition charges approaching $34,000 apiece, an expense the district said could be avoided by serving those students locally.
Board members pressed staff on logistics and supports. One board member said, "I have two main concerns: supervision and the logistics of community-based work," asking how the district would staff and supervise students in community placements. Another asked about nurses, counselors and custodial obligations for a consolidated program. Michelle replied that many operational details are in development, that students will continue to generate state units the district can use to hire staff, and that IDEA grant funds are being used as a cushion for start-up costs.
For the K–3 D setting, Michelle explained the difference between the district's existing C setting (which allows up to 40% of the school day with typical peers) and the proposed D setting, a smaller, more restrictive environment designed to teach communication and behavior skills so students can return to less restrictive placements. The district said a D setting would consolidate related service providers (speech, occupational therapy, behavior specialists) and reduce out‑of‑district referrals.
District staff recommended using Chipman West as primary space for components of the Compass program, configuring separate rooms for different age groups and establishing separate entrances and schedules to minimize disruption to existing schools. Officials said some students would use the site as a home base while primarily participating in community-based work experiences.
The board requested further detail on staffing plans, full cost estimates and regular progress reports. Chair noted the board expects follow-up presentations as specific administrator and staffing proposals are developed. Michelle said the district's implementation goal is to begin in the 2026–27 school year, contingent on staffing and funding.
The district emphasized that any placement decisions for individual students would continue to be made through Individualized Education Program (IEP) teams and parent participation. Michelle said expansions will be implemented only when teams determine a student would benefit from a different setting.
The board took no formal vote on Compass at the meeting; the presentation was heard as an informational item and staff were directed to return with more detailed plans, cost estimates and implementation timelines.
