Taconic Hills board hears special-education update as district expands in‑house supports

The Taconic Hills Central School District on Monday received a detailed update on special education services, with district pupil personnel staff reporting higher numbers of students with disabilities and outlining steps to expand in‑district supports and tighten compliance.

The presenter, covering for an absent colleague, told the board the district’s students with disabilities have increased even as overall enrollment declines and that a large share of those students are economically disadvantaged. “Ninety‑one of our 129 students with disabilities are students who are economically disadvantaged,” the presenter said, adding that those figures represent about 70% of the special‑education subgroup and that roughly 60% of the district’s total student population is economically disadvantaged.

The update laid out four commitments: to create standard operating procedures for consistent practice across the PPS division; to train incoming staff on New York State education regulations and Medicaid/ESTAC procedures; to publish a handbook with clearly defined roles and responsibilities; and to design a sustainable continuum of services aligned to student needs.

Why it matters: state compliance metrics guide program placement and funding. The presenter noted the district’s recent performance on key state indicators: Taconic Hills reported about 70% of identified students spending 80% or more of their day in least‑restrictive environments (the district’s LRE measure), above the district target cited in the presentation. For graduation and dropout measures, the presenter said students with disabilities were at roughly 75% graduation (target 73%) and a 12.5% dropout rate (target no more than 19%), indicating the district meets those particular state benchmarks.

Board members pressed for clarifications about whether the rise in identified students reflects broader screening and reduced stigma or a true enrollment shift. The presenter said both factors play a role: better identification and increased awareness, plus real changes in student needs, have driven the numbers. The presenter also emphasized efforts to meet student needs in the least restrictive setting and to build teacher capacity through professional development and coaching.

Operational challenges: staff capacity and referrals. The PPS presenter told the board the department manages more than 500 meetings annually, and that turnover and a limited candidate pool have made recruitment and coverage difficult — especially for licensed psychologists. The presenter said the district received 27 new students in April (updated to 28 during the meeting) who arrived with Individualized Education Programs, and currently has 38 evaluation requests (five awaiting guardian consent).

Local responses and partnerships: the district has added an 8–12 integrated classroom at the kindergarten–grade‑1 level and adjusted class‑size and aide ratios across grade bands to provide more in‑district options. The presenter credited a team including Janet (who led the special‑education audit and was referenced repeatedly) and outside partners for helping reduce noncompliance (citing an immunization compliance effort that reduced students without proper records from 90+ to one by a deadline) and for supporting newly created programs.

Financial and compliance signals: staff said increased Medicaid reimbursements are an expected metric for measuring some training and Medicaid documentation improvements; the district also reported training completion milestones for CSE, 504 and related chairs and staff.

What’s next: the presenter said work will continue on the SOP handbook, roll‑out of professional learning sessions, and planning for 2026–27 placements. Board members thanked staff for the work and urged continued communication between buildings and the PPS division so building leaders can operationalize changes.

The board had no formal vote on policy arising from the presentation; the item served as an informational briefing and a Q&A.