Warwick special education director outlines program changes and warns funding shortfall could hinder five-year plan

Mr. Carter, the district's new special education director, said he is "about three weeks into this job" and outlined several early priorities for Warwick's special education programs, including a strengthened bridge (post‑graduation transition) program, a collaborative rewrite of the special-education guidebook and a pilot of transitional kindergarten classrooms to give some children additional diagnostic time before permanent placement.

The guidebook rewrite, Mr. Carter said, would remove confusing "alphabet soup" and include a dedicated section for the early learning center so that guidance for families and teachers better reflects program differences. "I want to reopen the guide book," he said, adding that the revision should be collaborative with teachers and parents.

Mr. Carter described the bridge program, which began in September, as a work-and-living skills initiative. Students spend days at job sites and use a rented two‑bedroom apartment through a partnership with West Bay Collaborative to practice household and independent-living skills; the arrangement will continue through ESY (extended school year)…