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CSISD special education report: evaluations surge, dyslexia classification lifts caseloads, staff reallocations planned
Summary
Special education leaders told trustees the district has seen a large increase in initial special-education evaluations this year (about 675 to date), explained that adding dyslexia to special-education categories raised some caseload counts, and said staff will reallocate central facilitator and coach positions back to campuses to add teachers, therapists and aides.
The district’s special education director gave trustees a data-heavy update showing continued growth in special-education evaluations and services and outlined staffing and funding steps intended to meet demand.
Miss Grande told trustees the district has logged roughly 675 initial full individual evaluations (FIEs) for 2025–26 so far, a level comparable to recent pandemic-era upticks. She noted dyslexia’s addition to a special-education category for 2024–25 increased counts in certain service bands, and that private-school evaluation requests (about 50 so far this school year) are included in the evaluation totals.
Grande described two prospective state-level developments that could affect district finances: TEA is considering reimbursing districts about $1,000 per initial evaluation (subject to state decisions) and is piloting a service-based funding model that would direct funding according to levels of services students require. "They are looking at a service-based funding model," Grande said, adding the model could better align funds to students with higher service needs if adopted.
On staffing, the special-education office reported contracted evaluation and therapy costs in 2024–25 (hundreds of thousands of dollars combined) and said the district has added evaluation staff for 2025–26. To meet rising needs without a large immediate budget increase, Grande said the department will reassign some art-facilitator and central instructional-coach positions back to campuses to serve as teachers, therapists and instructional assistants; she estimated reallocating those positions could save roughly $300,000 compared with continued reliance on contracted services.
Grande highlighted compliance numbers (timely evaluations and eligibility meetings) that were near 99–100% and pointed to improved disciplinary-disproportionality metrics after behavior interventions and administrator training in recent years. She requested continued board support for piloting service-based funding and monitoring TEA reimbursement programs.
Trustees asked about private-school evaluation obligations and about whether families migrate to CSISD for services; Grande confirmed state rules require districts to evaluate parentally placed private-school students who live in district boundaries and said the district does receive some in-bound enrollment for special-education services.
No personnel actions were taken in the workshop related to special education; trustees praised staff and volunteer committees for supporting students and families.
