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Parent urges district to shift resources to special-education staff as caseloads grow
Summary
A public commenter said the district is creating high-paid administrative roles while special-education therapists and counselors face caseloads far above recommended levels, citing occupational therapists with caseloads >160 and counselors responsible for roughly 500 students at one high school.
At the Montgomery County school board meeting, Autumn Harper criticized the district for creating another assistant director position with a salary “exceeding $140,000” while special-education professionals and school counselors remain overburdened.
Harper said some occupational therapists are responsible for “more than 160 students” and some speech-language pathologists have “caseloads exceeding 190,” making individualized services “nearly impossible.” She also noted West Creek High School counselors are responsible for approximately 500 students, well above the American School Counselor Association recommendation of 1 counselor per 250 students.
Harper urged the board to prioritize hiring and supports for front-line special-education staff, expand training for board members on special-education law and the IEP process, and to address accessibility gaps such as the absence of a changing table in a CDC classroom at Kirkwood Elementary. The speaker recommended reallocating resources from central administration toward professionals who work directly with students.
Board members asked staff to provide further information on program participation and staffing; no formal policy change or vote on staffing allocation occurred during the meeting.
