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Parent urges Prince Edward school board to act on special-education shortfalls
Summary
At the Prince Edward County school board meeting, parent Robin DeHart said data show ‘‘systemic failure’’ in special education — citing state figures on reading, math, chronic absence and local counts of students needing intensive support — and called for transparency and immediate action.
Robin DeHart, a parent of a neurodivergent student in Prince Edward County Public Schools, told the school board that families deserve ‘‘transparency and action, not board presentations from leadership filled with empty promises and strategic writing.’’ She urged the board to close what she described as systemic gaps in services for students with disabilities.
DeHart, speaking during the public comment period, cited state data she said show ‘‘only 28 percent of students with disabilities in this district are meeting reading expectations’’ compared with a long‑term goal of 88 percent and ‘‘24 percent’’ meeting mathematics expectations relative to an 85 percent goal. She added that ‘‘nearly 30 percent of students with disabilities are chronically absent’’ and read locally specific counts: ‘‘965 elementary school students are attending a school identified as needing intensive support and 378 students attending a middle school identified as off track.’’
‘‘This is systemic failure to close opportunity gaps for one of the most vulnerable student populations,’’ DeHart said, and called on the board to ensure commitments are translated into monitored, timely action: ‘‘How is this board ensuring that the gap between commitment and practice is being closed? How is this board monitoring whether improvement efforts are actually impacting students with disabilities?’’
Board procedure limited immediate dialogue during public comment. Chairman Townsend acknowledged the comment period and the board proceeded with the agenda; the board’s public comment guidelines note the superintendent will provide a follow‑up response on behalf of the board.
What happened next: the board moved on to the consent agenda and routine business. The transcript includes no substantive response from the board that evening addressing DeHart’s specific data points or naming concrete next steps beyond the standard promise of a superintendent follow‑up.
Why it matters: DeHart’s remarks put district special‑education outcomes and family experiences in front of the school board and public. The numbers she cited (reading, math, chronic absence, and counts of students in schools needing intensive support) are the kinds of metrics the board and superintendent can use to prioritize staffing, program fidelity and accountability measures.
Clarifying note: the figures above are reported verbatim from the public comment as presented to the board. The board did not provide countervailing data or a point‑by‑point response during the meeting.
