Advisory council debates when students with disabilities are placed in alternative programs, and whether enrollment delays hurt youth leaving residential care

Members of the State Alternative Education Advisory Council spent the bulk of their quarterly meeting discussing how districts place students with disabilities and whether delays in enrollment are interrupting education for youths leaving residential care.

"This is the first year that we're starting to see students that during their manifestation meetings are being found... that their disability is the reason of their behavior," said Glenn Wolfenbarger of Jefferson County Schools, describing a recent trend in which manifestation-determination reviews lead to "educational placement" in alternative programs. He said his county has had four such cases this year.

Scott Intermah, senior director for nontraditional education programs, asked whether staff at alternative learning centers are involved in IEP-team decisions. "Are you guys the staff working in the alternative school or program, are they involved with that IEP team decision?" he asked, stressing the importance of functional behavior assessments (FBA) and behavior intervention plans (BIP) before a change in placement.

A district representative who described keeping ALCs primarily as disciplinary placements said the district follows state rules and requires FBAs and expanded services before placing students long term. That speaker said some districts contract with external programs such as Genesis or Rutherford Academy or build in-district alternatives to avoid outplacements.

Martina Stump, director of education at the Department of Children's Services, raised a related concern about students coming out of residential facilities: she asked whether districts ever delay enrollment if the chosen alternative school is full. "So they're making that determination, the alternative school is the best placement for them, but then they're delaying that enrollment until they have a space for them," Stump said, warning that a delay can interrupt education for a student already in a residential setting.

A Cobb County representative said that if a student arrives with an "educational passport," districts are generally required to enroll them, but other speakers said practice varies and cautioned that some districts have delayed enrollment when space is limited. Council members discussed using remote-learning placements as a temporary measure to create in-person capacity for students who require it.

Josiah, who said he is the LEA for a small detention program, described operations in a 12-bed facility and the practical limits of offering in-person services when census is low: "We have a halftime teacher... we have 3 today, for instance," he said, noting staffing and separation constraints in small JDCs.

Throughout the discussion members emphasized individualized decision-making. Several argued that keeping a student in the least restrictive environment with supports is an equity issue, while others said some students benefit from smaller, more structured settings. Participants also stressed the need for coordinated transition planning that includes caregivers, mental-health partners and STARS counselors when students leave residential care.

The council did not take formal action on placement policy at the meeting. Members asked staff to share guidance on enrollment obligations for students with educational passports and to bring back survey results and any State Board feedback at the next quarterly meeting.