Parents and teachers say Rialto Unified’s larger special‑ed class caps and fewer aides put students and staff at risk

Parents, teachers and union officials pressed the Rialto Unified School District board on Sept. 10 for immediate changes to special‑education staffing and class caps, saying recent program restructures have left some classrooms short of the aides needed to keep students safe and to deliver legally required services.

At a public‑comment period that drew more than a dozen speakers, several parents recounted specific incidents they said stemmed from insufficient support. “This is the magnet he swallowed in a class in 2022 … it could have been avoided if my son had a one‑on‑one,” said Stephanie Lopez, a parent whose nonverbal son spent three weeks under X‑ray observation while a magnet passed. Lopez told the board her son nearly required surgery and said the classroom then often had 12–15 special‑needs students with one teacher and one aide.

Special‑education teachers and aides described a broader pattern of program changes that they say increased class caps and reduced permanent BSA (Behavioral Support Assistant) staffing. “Under the updated mild‑moderate model the class cap increased to 15 students while permanent staffing has been reduced to one aide per classroom,” Karina Jimenez, a special‑education teacher at Simpson Elementary, told the board. She asked trustees to “lower the class cap” for TK and TK‑to‑1 mild/moderate SDCs and to assign two‑to‑three permanent aides per classroom "based on actual student support needs."

Teachers described day‑to‑day consequences for instruction and safety. Bernadette Monson, who identified herself as a special‑education teacher, said her aide is out on medical leave after a classroom injury and that temporary supports are inconsistent. “My lunch is always a working lunch,” she said, adding that she cannot find time to complete legally required IEP minutes, assessments and progress reports under current staffing levels.

Union leaders and district staff acknowledged the urgency. Christina Costa, president of the California School Employees Association local chapter, said classified staff are “drowning in those classrooms” and urged the district to prioritize hiring more BSAs. Interim Superintendent Dr. Judy White thanked speakers for raising concerns and said the district is working to identify which classes are at or near cap and to pursue contracted support while recruiting permanent staff.

Several speakers also pressed the board about investigations and accountability for prior allegations of staff misconduct. Frank Montes and other parents said past complaints were not fully investigated and described retaliation against whistleblowers; the board did not dispute that concerns were raised and said staff would follow up.

Board members said they heard the testimony and proposed next steps. One trustee suggested creating a subcommittee to delve into staffing, program structure and procurement of contracted behavioral specialists; another asked administration to prepare a presentation clarifying program changes and which classrooms had reached the higher caps. The board did not adopt an immediate policy change at the meeting.

What’s next: Trustees asked administration to return with clearer data on which sites and classes are operating at elevated caps, a description of temporary contractual supports already in place, and recommendations for permanent staffing or program adjustments at a future meeting.