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Teacher and parents tell board IEPs aren't being followed, urge restoration of SPED director
Summary
A teacher and parents told the Vernonia SD 47J board that IEPs had not been followed and that principals and the superintendent are overburdened without a dedicated special education director; they urged the board to restore the position.
During a special session, a teacher (S6) and a parent (S4) raised concerns about special education services and Individualized Education Program (IEP) compliance.
The teacher said the district currently lacks a special education director because "that was a position that was cut," adding that principals and the superintendent were being asked to carry extra burdens. The teacher estimated that roughly "15 to 20% of the student population is in SPED services," and said that workload and caseload management make a dedicated SPED director important.
A parent told the board that they and other parents had experienced "the IEPs not being followed, especially at the beginning of the school," and urged the board to ensure proper implementation. Staff (S5) and board members said they had heard similar feedback and discussed directing the superintendent to separate SPED duties and budgeting to address the concerns.
Board members subsequently moved and approved a directive for Greg Kent to work with the superintendent to create a separate SPED director budget line and pursue separate searches, a step proponents said would allow more focused oversight of special education services.
