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Teachers and parents urge Board to preserve special-education coordinator roles amid proposed cuts
Summary
Staff and community members urged the Board to reconsider proposed reductions that would eliminate or reassign special-education coordinators and other positions, saying the changes would harm student services and program continuity.
During the public-comment period, teachers, staff and a community member told the Board they were concerned the proposed FY25-26 restructuring would reduce direct services to students and destabilize programs that have recently improved.
Melissa Lopes, speaking on behalf of concerned community members, said she understood the difficult decisions but remained "concerned about the deep cuts that are being made in the proposed budget. The loss of teachers/support staff of about 9 positions will have a direct impact on students," according to meeting minutes. Art teacher Jennifer Long and other staff described cross-site shared positions and ongoing strain from prior reductions. "It is not about me, but about the students to have a good education and that includes the visual arts," Long told the Board.
Special-education coordinators Jennifer Thompson and Hillary Williams described their roles in case management, IEP development, formal evaluations and compliance and asked the Board to consider those responsibilities before approving cuts. A district behavioral analyst who identified herself as Adrianna also asked the Board to avoid staff losses that could disrupt a team that is "finally running smoothly," according to her remarks.
The Board did not take an immediate vote tied to these public comments during the Dec. 12 meeting; the remarks were entered into the record as the administration and Board continue budget deliberations.
