Board approves 2025-26 LCAP; district emphasizes "push-in" supports for special education

The La Mesa-Spring Valley School District board on June 24 approved the district'wide 2025-26 Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP) and its federal addendum and heard staff describe a focus on delivering special-education services inside general classrooms.

Diane, a district presenter, told the board the LCAP work includes local performance indicators the district must share annually. "We also prioritize push in services over pull out services," Diane said, describing scheduling strategies and additional paraeducator support to keep students in core instruction whenever appropriate.

Board members pushed staff for details about caseloads and how push-in services would work in practice. One member asked, "As a special ed teacher, how do you propose to do that?" Diane said sites use strategic scheduling, co-planning, and a "very, generous" staffing model beyond Ed Code parameters so paraeducators can support SAI teachers under their direction.

The presentation included examples of scaffolds and supports used in classrooms and a commitment to protecting core instructional time across grade levels. Diane said staff will monitor implementation and adjust based on student needs and site capacity.

The board voted to adopt the 25-26 LCAP and the associated federal addendum in separate voice votes. The approvals were presented as routine actions after the LCAP presentation; board members asked whether recent federal or state legislation had changed budget assumptions and were told there were no material changes affecting the adopted plan.

The district said it will continue to collect the local performance indicator data required by the LCAP and report back to the board on implementation progress and any adjustments to special-education delivery.