Board hears plan to add BCBA and two RBTs to support rising special-education caseloads

Madison County Schools’ director of special education, Shanna Reeder, told the school board the district plans to add one board-certified behavior analyst (BCBA) and two registered behavior technicians (RBTs) to address rising special-education needs.

Reeder said the new hires will provide consultations, classroom observations, staff training and follow-up support so teachers can implement evidence-based behavior strategies. “The ultimate goal is to keep our students educated with their non disabled peers as much as possible and as they can tolerate,” Reeder said.

Reeder told the board the district has strengthened partnerships with applied behavior analysis (ABA) providers in the community to identify students before they enter school and coordinate services. She cited a special-needs count of 2,411 students — roughly 20% of the district’s student population — as part of the rationale for expanding on-staff behavioral supports.

Board members pressed Reeder about deployment and classroom impact. She said the BCBA will observe, write reports and train staff; RBTs will provide hands-on support and “fade out” services so the classroom teacher can sustain interventions. Reeder also described potential districtwide training so strategies are applied consistently in RTI and other intervention structures.

Reeder committed to return to the board with implementation updates. The matter was presented for informational purposes during the instruction report; no board vote to authorize hiring was recorded in the transcript during this segment.