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Parent urges transparency after district eliminates coordinator of special programs position
Summary
At the April 14 meeting, parent and community member Caitlyn Schmidt criticized the district's decision to eliminate the coordinator of special programs position and demanded a clear plan for who will assume responsibilities and how compliance with protections for students with disabilities will be ensured.
Caitlyn Schmidt, a Garrett County resident who identified herself as a dental hygienist, business owner and parent of a student who receives support through a 504 plan, used the board's public comment period April 14 to call for transparency after the district announced elimination of the coordinator of special programs position.
Schmidt said the role "was never just administrative" and requires specific knowledge and training to ensure compliance with laws that protect students with disabilities. She asked the board who will now handle those duties, who is qualified and trained to take them on, and how the district will ensure continuing compliance and consistent support for students and families.
"Transparency is not simply saying a plan is being worked on. Transparency is showing the plan," Schmidt told the board, and said parents want a finalized, documented plan rather than the board's current assurances that a plan is still being finalized.
The board did not provide an immediate, detailed response at the meeting beyond acknowledging the comment. Schmidt said dispersing responsibilities to individual schools without a clear system risks inconsistent support and could lead to students "falling through the cracks." She asked the board to either reconsider the decision or provide clear answers about how protections and oversight will continue.
What was not included in the record: The transcript does not contain a detailed administrative explanation of how duties will be reassigned, staffing changes, or a timeline for a finalized plan; those details were described in the meeting packet as "still being finalized" according to the commenter and meeting remarks.
