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Parents tell East Lansing board special-education implementation is inconsistent at White Hills
Summary
Two parents told the board that White Hills Elementary has inconsistent IEP implementation, gaps in service logs and unclear classroom designations, and urged the district to ensure accountability and consistent supports for students with high needs.
Several parents used the public-comment portion of the East Lansing Board of Education meeting to press the district for clearer, consistent implementation of individualized education programs at White Hills Elementary.
"We appreciate your response after last meeting," Sarah Wilson said, but added that she and other parents remain "cautiously optimistic" and urged the board to make how candidates for the new White Hills principal will approach special education a key hiring consideration.
Kathleen Brady, a parent of a nonverbal first-grader at White Hills, delivered detailed complaints about her child’s IEP implementation. Brady said she has received "multiple unanswered" emails, described "no consistent service logs, no consistent accommodation logs, and no verified data," and said general-education logs stopped on Feb. 5 and did not resume until March 25 when a long-term substitute began. "When data is incomplete, inconsistent, and cannot be verified, how are decisions being made?" she asked.
Brady also raised concerns that classroom designations have shifted in district communications — at times described as a "resource room" and at other times as an "ASD self-contained program" — and said those labels matter because they determine staffing, supports and access to general education.
"This is not just paperwork. This is about whether students are receiving the support they are legally entitled to," Brady said, urging review of accountability for implementation and clarity about who is responsible for consistent services.
Board members did not take an immediate action in response during the meeting. Trustees and staff have previously told the public the district is "responding" and "monitoring" concerns, language Brady noted in her remarks; she urged concrete changes to how IEPs are implemented rather than solely communication updates.
The public comments followed administrative reports and other agenda business. The board’s next regular meeting is scheduled for May 11, 2026.
