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School board approves special-education annual plan, highlights transition and work-based learning
Summary
The Gloucester County School Board accepted the Special Education annual plan April 14, outlining new staffing and classroom placements, expanded transition services and early work-based learning for students with disabilities, and a federal/state funding flow-through used primarily for staff salaries.
The Gloucester County School Board on April 14 voted to approve the division’s Special Education Annual Plan, a presentation that outlined newly created positions, classroom expansions and a focus on post‑graduation transition services.
Director of Special Education Jennifer Tingley presented the plan, telling the board the division created a divisionwide transition coordinator position, opened new 3–5 and K–2 support classrooms and reopened a regional autism middle-school classroom. Tingley also described a VCU ACE partnership to support one classroom and the rollout of an online Virginia IEP progress-tracker intended to give parents clearer, charted progress on IEP goals.
The plan details the district’s use of federal flow‑through funds to cover salaries and benefits for 14 teachers and smaller preschool allocations that pay part of a preschool teacher and paraprofessional. Tingley said the division has nine students engaged in paid job‑shadowing or work‑based learning this spring and described a virtual learner permit study course intended to reduce employment barriers for students who do not have access to transportation.
Board members pressed on timelines, implementation and grant writing. One member asked about the federal application timeline; Tingley said the flow‑through application opens in December and is due in mid‑May and that she typically uses prior documents as templates. Another member asked whether the district can serve students who previously would have been sent to out‑of‑division programs; Tingley said the district has increased capacity but some students still require more specialized services elsewhere.
Superintendent Dr. Vladeau and other board members commended Tingley for stretching resources and noted total local and state expenditures on special education: the presenter cited approximately $9,909,423 in local and state spending as context for budget planning. The board approved the plan by roll call.
The board was told the Special Education Advisory Committee meets quarterly and that the next public meeting is scheduled for May 4 at 6 p.m. at TC Walker (with a virtual option). The plan’s approval does not represent a change to federal rules; it is the division’s formal application and implementation plan for the federal and state funds that support special education services.
The board’s vote concludes action on the annual plan for this fiscal year; Tingley said staff will continue pursuing grant and programmatic options to expand transition services and family training on communication devices.
