Specialized learning director says caseloads, costs and behavioral needs have surged; district outlines targeted plans

Carrie Clark, executive director for specialized learning, told the Montgomery Independent School District board on May 12 that the district is serving 3,089 students under specialized‑learning programs and has 1,886 students currently identified in special education.

Clark said the district has seen marked increases across several categories — especially dyslexia and other specific learning disabilities — and noted that 754 students receive direct dyslexia instruction. She said the district received more than 500 initial special‑education referrals this school year and that early‑childhood referrals (ages 3–4) have climbed.

"We are going to continue to engage students in learning in the least restrictive environment," Clark said, summarizing the department's mission and priorities. She told trustees staffing remained a primary constraint: "This is the first time in Montgomery that we were not able to fill all of our special‑education teacher positions this year," forcing campuses to use substitutes and split assignments to ensure certified coverage.

Clark reviewed data showing growth over four years, noting dramatic increases in dyslexia services and in the number of students who require one‑to‑one paraprofessional support. She said residential and day placements for students with extreme needs have grown from one student in 2022–23 to four this year, with annual tuition and placement costs reported at roughly $881,000; the district seeks partial reimbursement from state residential and high‑cost funds but said reimbursements vary.

On accountability, Clark reported the district remains at TEA Results Driven Accountability (RDA) Determination Level 1 — a favorable classification — while also warning that disciplinary removal rates for students with disabilities exceed the federal 2.5% threshold for a subgroup (two or more races). As a result, the district is in "targeted action," she said, and will allocate about 15% of its special‑education grant funds to behavior‑focused interventions, add paraprofessional positions, and hire an MTSS behavior coordinator to reduce removals.

Clark described administrative impacts from the new Texas Education Freedom Accounts (TIFA) requirements: the district must evaluate some non‑enrolled or home‑schooled students and upload documentation into the comptroller portal. She said TEA provided $1,000 per evaluation as partial compensation but that the paperwork burden fell on district staff during spring break.

Looking ahead, Clark discussed the state's new special‑education funding law for 2026–27 that moves from location‑based allotments to a tiered, intensity‑based model. She said the change could increase state funding to better reflect the intensity of services (for example, one‑to‑one aides, nurses, or personal‑care needs), but she cautioned that the legislature set aside $250 million statewide, which is unlikely to fully close local funding gaps. The district is preparing to submit detailed tier worksheets by the October deadline.

Clark closed by listing planned interventions and supports — additional paraprofessionals, targeted behavior programs, professional development and parent outreach — and by noting that the department will continue to monitor RDA indicators and pursue available reimbursements.

The board did not take formal action on these informational items; trustees asked clarifying questions and thanked Clark for the report.