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Special‑education enrollment rises to 405; board approves local course code for Flat Rock multi‑age classroom
Summary
District special‑education staff reported 405 students (about 13% of enrollment), a LEA determination of 'meets requirement' and staffing shortages for school psychologists and SLPs. The board approved a local board‑approved course to consolidate multi‑grade therapeutic classroom coding at Flat Rock Elementary (motion carried, vote recorded as five).
Anderson School District 3 received a detailed special‑education update and approved a local course code intended to streamline scheduling for a therapeutic multi‑age classroom at Flat Rock Elementary.
The presenter for special education told the board "our total population of special education students in Anderson School District 3 is 405 students," about 13% of district enrollment. She said the primary disability categories are specific learning disability (48%), autism (14%), speech‑language (13%) and other health impairments (13%). The presenter noted the district earned an LEA determination of "meets requirement," with compliance and performance scores cited in the presentation (compliance 18 of 18; performance 19 of 22; combined 37 of 40).
Board members focused questions on staffing and service delivery. The presenter said the district is struggling to recruit some specialists locally — notably school psychologists and speech‑language pathologists — and therefore contracts for those services. She named the contractor used for school psychology services as "Little Johnny" and said several neighboring districts also use the same provider. The presenter described long waits for early‑intervention services in the area and said the district is exploring "grow‑your‑own" approaches and state CREATE‑style programs that require a multi‑year employment commitment in exchange for training support.
On caseloads, the presenter said resource‑setting caseload targets are 33:1 (the district aims to stay at or below that) and self‑contained placements use a 15:1 ratio; she reported middle‑school examples near 30:1 but said numbers remain within the district target.
As an action item tied to the discussion, the board considered and unanimously approved (vote recorded as "Five") a local board‑approved course code designed for Flat Rock's therapeutic multi‑age classroom (ages 3–21). The course consolidates multiple grade‑level course codes into a single "learning lab placement for specialized instruction," simplifying scheduling and reporting for students with profound, multi‑grade needs. The motion was made, seconded and carried; no amendments were recorded.
Board members and staff thanked special‑education staff for their work and noted the district will continue to pursue staffing solutions and partner with regional institutions to address training pipeline issues.
