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Modesto board adopts special education local plan amid parent concerns about service delivery
Summary
The board approved the district's special education local plan and annual services/budget for 2026-27 after staff described SULPA requirements and parents raised concerns about unmet IEP services and transparency; trustees pressed staff on caseloads and private-school service counts.
The Modesto City Schools Board of Education adopted the district's Special Education Local Plan Area (SULPA) and its 2026-27 annual services and budget at its June 8 meeting after a public hearing and staff presentation.
Christina Romero, who presented the SULPA update, told the board the document fulfills state and federal requirements (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and California Education Code) and must be submitted to the county and California Department of Education by June 30. Romero outlined sections of the plan, including governance, annual assurances, the annual budget and the site-level service inventory that documents where services are provided.
During public comment, parent Felipe Alvarez said he has repeatedly raised concerns that his son's Individualized Education Program (IEP) needs have not been met and asked the district to provide clearer information to families about services and counts of students served. "I bring this folder," Alvarez said, describing his son's IEP history and urging the board to ensure the plan addresses long-standing IEP needs.
Romero and trustees responded with clarifications. Romero said the district is recruiting four additional speech-language pathologists and is using SLP assistants to reduce caseload pressure. She described board-directed efforts to improve parent knowledge, including parent IEP training sessions offered monthly (morning and evening) and community connector events to link families with resources. Romero confirmed translation services are provided at IEP meetings.
Trustee Urban asked for and received a headcount: Romero said the district serves over 4,500 students with disabilities across the SULPA. Staff further noted they provide services to an estimated 64 students parentally placed in private schools (for services such as deaf/hard-of-hearing support, speech-language and orientation/mobility), paid from a separate federal proportional-share allocation.
After trustee questions and no further public comment, the board moved to approve the SULPA annual services and budget for 2026-27. The motion passed unanimously among members present.
What the vote means: Approval allows the district to submit required materials to the county office of education and the state by the June 30 deadline and continues the district's plan to expand parent outreach and hire additional specialists; trustees asked staff for follow-up materials on caseloads, private-school service impact and budget implications.
Representative quote: "We're advertising for four additional speech pathologists this year," Romero said in response to trustee concern about caseload size.
Next steps: Staff will submit the certified SULPA to the Stanislaus County Office of Education and provide trustees with follow-up materials requested during Q&A, including counts of students served in private placements and detailed staffing and budget impacts.
