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Bledsoe County schools report improved letter grades and near‑full IEP compliance
Summary
Supervisors reported district academic gains — including Rigsby Elementary earning an A and Bledsoe Middle rising from a D to a C — and Special Education Supervisor Corey Garrett reported 97% IEP compliance and 92% re-evaluation timeline compliance.
At the board's Jan. 5 meeting, Supervisor of Curriculum and Instruction Farrah Fields presented district academic data showing gains in several schools: three schools received B letter grades, Bledsoe Middle improved from a D to a C, and Rigsby Elementary received an A. Principal Matt Ridley noted the high school's statewide recognition for ACT growth.
Special Education Supervisor Corey Garrett briefed the board on special-education performance and staffing. Garrett reported that the district is the second‑highest among "distressed" counties for the proportion of students with disabilities and the highest among surrounding counties. He listed the four primary categories of need as specific learning disabilities, speech and language disorders, autism and developmental delay, and reported 97% compliance with Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) and 92% compliance with re‑evaluation timelines.
Board members asked about who sets testing criteria and how supports continue if an IEP is discontinued. Garrett said testing criteria are locally administered within state-established parameters and explained that a student can move from an IEP to accommodations under a Section 504 plan when appropriate, and that the district has added paraprofessionals intended to reduce caseload pressures. Garrett said administrators had not reported major negative feedback about the additional paraprofessionals.
The presentation was informational; the minutes record no formal action on academic or special-education policy at the Jan. 5 meeting.
