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Harlandale parents and a senior urge board to include special-needs students in senior activities
Summary
At the March 25 board meeting, senior Demetrius Monreal and his mother, Lotus Rios, told trustees the district has not included their cohort of special-education students in prom nominations, senior milestones and college-night events and asked for immediate action to restore those opportunities.
Demetrius Monreal, a senior at Harlandale High School, told the board during public comment that he and several classmates with disabilities have been excluded from senior milestones and events, including prom nominations and senior sunrise. "We are a part of the graduating class of 2026," he said. "We deserve more. Not later but now. I want inclusion now."
His mother, Lotus Rios, told trustees she has raised the issue repeatedly with teachers and principals and said formal requests and follow-ups have not produced changes. She described her son's efforts to seek algebra-level coursework rather than pre-K work and said college-night lacked accessible representation for special-needs students. "Just because they're in SPED or in AL doesn't mean that they don't want to read Shakespeare or do algebra," Rios said. "They deserve to be seen and heard."
Board staff thanked the speakers for making their concerns and confirmed the public-comment period rules (three minutes per speaker). Trustees and administrators did not announce immediate remedies in the meeting record. No motion or formal direction to staff was listed in the transcript. The speakers asked for concrete steps to (1) include their students in prom and senior events, (2) ensure grade-appropriate course placement, and (3) improve outreach for college and transition planning.
The board did not record a follow-up deadline in the meeting. The public comment came during the formal public-comment period; the transcript shows the board acknowledged the statements and moved on to scheduled announcements and reports.
