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VISD special‑education report shows roughly 20% of students identified, officials warn of funding uncertainty
Summary
VISD’s first annual special‑education report shows 2,545 students qualify for services — about 20% of enrollment — with sharp increases in initial evaluations and continuing pressure from underfunded mandates and a shifting state funding model.
Victoria Independent School District officials presented the district’s first annual special‑education report under recent legislation, saying it documents a steep rise in students identified for services and looming funding uncertainty.
"At this point in VISD, we have 2,545 students that qualify for special education services," Kelly Cotton told the board, summarizing program scope: speech therapy, occupational and physical therapy, life‑skills classrooms and the RISE Academy for students whose campus behavior classrooms are insufficient. Cotton said the district now identifies about 20% of its enrollment as needing special education, up from roughly 10% in 2017, and that initial evaluations have increased to more than 500 annually in the last three years.
Cotton highlighted that VISD provides services to students in private and homeschool settings through a federal proportionate‑share formula; currently staff told trustees the individual allocation for a private‑school student is about $900 for supplies and materials and cannot be used for primary curriculum or religious materials. The report also showed 1,141 students receiving direct speech therapy and a strong special‑education graduation rate (reported as 99.1% in the district’s TAPR data).
Trustees and staff repeatedly cautioned that the statewide funding model for special education is shifting and that additional mandates arrived after the most recent legislative session. "There were additional underfunded or unfunded mandates that came about, additional compliance tasks, and great uncertainty about program funding," Cotton said, urging the board to expect changes for the 2026–27 school year. Staff emphasized a mix of efficiency efforts and community partnerships — including the Golden Crescent Regional Planning Commission — that support services without direct district payments.
Next steps outlined by staff include continuing to track evaluation trends, pursue efficiency in assistive‑technology and staffing, host community outreach sessions and return to the board with more fiscal detail as the state releases guidance on the new funding model.
