Trustees hear detailed special-education briefing as parents and staff press for faster safety fixes

The Escondido Union High School District board on Feb. 11 heard a comprehensive presentation on special education law and services from Dr. Jeremy Owen, the district's special education director, as parents and a teacher urged quicker action on classroom safety.

Owen framed special education decision-making around two legal principles: Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) and least restrictive environment (LRE). He described the IEP (individualized education program) process, assessment timelines and the district's continuum of services from co-taught general education classes to intensive SAI and functional-skills programs. "We have over 1,000 students in special education," Owen said, noting roughly 15—16% of district enrollment is served and that about 10 students are in nonpublic placements.

The presentation included program-level details: the district offers co-taught classes (roughly one-third of students have IEPs in those classes), SAI classes for more intensive instruction, a "Journey" (IOP) program for students with significant social-emotional needs, and an adult transition program for students up to age 22. Owen described timelines in law and practice: parents or teams can request an IEP meeting at any time; the district has up to 30 days to hold an IEP meeting and 60 days to complete mandated assessments once an assessment plan is signed.

Following the presentation, the board heard public comment from a special education teacher and multiple parents who said safety issues in an Orange Glen classroom have persisted for months. Maria Nielsen, who identified herself as a special education teacher at Orange Glen, said aides had been reassigned, staffing dropped and a dangerous situation went unaddressed: "Why is classroom safety not prioritized over integration, especially when I have students who are terrified and not attending class due to their fears?" she asked. Parent Crystal Reed said her son and "nine other students have been attacked, bitten, and terrorized by a single student since August 2024." Dalia Atibe told trustees her child has not attended school for weeks because of fear following an incident.

Board members acknowledged the urgency. Board President Bob Weller told speakers they had been heard and the board would follow up; trustees asked staff for more specific timelines, requested a future district report on staffing and said they wanted to see deliverables (e.g., staffing targets and timelines) at an upcoming meeting. Dr. Owen said staffing and professional development are priorities and outlined that the district currently lists 66 instructional assistant positions with five vacancies.

The meeting did not produce immediate policy changes; the board did vote on unrelated consent items and an expulsion later in the agenda. Trustees and the superintendent requested that district staff return with a detailed plan for addressing reported safety concerns, including proposed staffing changes, timelines for action and clarifications of how the IEP team will document and resolve incidents.

Next steps: the board asked administration to follow up with affected families and to provide a district-level timeline and specific deliverables (recommended staffing, interim supports and monitoring metrics) at a future meeting.