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Parents urge Rialto Unified to prioritize special education as board readies superintendent profile
Summary
Parents told the Rialto Unified board to prioritize special education and inclusion during its superintendent search while district staff reported about 900 survey responses and 21 focus groups informing a leadership profile that the board will publish (and translate to Spanish) before interviews begin.
At a Rialto Unified School District board meeting, parents and community members urged trustees to prioritize special education, inclusive services and transparent follow-up as the board prepared to publish a leadership profile for its superintendent search.
Public commenters told trustees the search should value candidates who understand special-education law and who will act quickly on Individualized Education Program (IEP) complaints. Stefhanie López urged the board to choose a leader committed to inclusive practices and “an understanding of special-education laws,” and Unidos Amigos representative Celia Sarabia said community meetings and surveys were intended to shape the district’s final leadership profile.
Sandra Aguilar gave a personal example of delays: she said her son’s evaluation was completed “after seven or eight months” and that she has “not received help” for several years, and she asked the board to ensure faster responses when parents bring special-education concerns.
District staff presenting the profile materials told the board the candidate-selection process is confidential and said board members have not received candidate portfolios so no trustee has had privileged access to applicants. The presenter summarized outreach results: roughly 900 online survey responses and about 21 focus groups, with recurring priorities that included campus safety, preparing students for the next grade, expanded special-education supports, equity and ethical leadership. The presenter said the leadership profile and a timeline would be posted online and translated into Spanish, and that search interviews and subsequent recommendations should occur in the coming weeks.
Vice President Martínez questioned whether efforts to change district culture risked alienating long-serving staff; trustees and the presenter said the intent is to rebuild trust and reset expectations so the district can better serve students. Trustee Domínguez thanked parents for participating and asked how the search questions were developed; the presenter said the questions were designed from the community input and were aligned with themes from the focus groups and surveys.
The board approved routine motions at the start and end of the meeting, including adopting the agenda and a motion to adjourn/postpone; the chair called the final vote “all in favor.” The presenter reiterated that the leadership profile would be posted promptly (including a Spanish translation) and that the search team would proceed with interviews and later bring recommendations to the board.
What happens next: the district will publish the leadership profile and timeline online, translate it to Spanish, and the search team will schedule candidate interviews and present finalists to the board in the coming weeks.
