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Parents and educators urge Elk Grove Unified to preserve special-education supports as budget cuts loom
Summary
Dozens of parents, teachers and service providers told the Elk Grove Unified School District board that cuts to paraprofessional support, school counselors and other district-funded positions would harm students with disabilities and the district’s most vulnerable learners. Speakers urged permanent funding and better parent notification when services change.
Dozens of parents, teachers and support staff told the Elk Grove Unified School District board on Tuesday that proposed budget decisions and the sunsetting of COVID-era grant funding risk cutting critical services for students with disabilities.
At a public-comment period that drew 21 speakers, several parents described abrupt changes in services: “For a child like my son, that continuous one-on-one support is what keeps him safe and allows him to learn with confidence,” said Yang Xang, a parent who said his son, a blind and autistic kindergartner, had been without an assigned paraprofessional for three school days after the aide was reassigned. He asked the district to include parents in decisions that change Individualized Education Program (IEP) supports.
Teachers, school counselors, social workers and project implementers described widespread staffing shortages and urged the board to protect…
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