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Parents push board to create a local special-education advisory committee
Summary
Multiple parents asked the Sunnyvale School District Board to form a district-level special education advisory committee to restore local access and frequent engagement after regional SELPA consolidation; the superintendent said district staff are already working on a local advisory structure for next year.
A series of parents and community volunteers asked the board to establish a Sunnyvale-level Special Education Advisory Committee to replace or supplement the larger Northwest SELPA CAC structure that now covers 20 districts. Geeta Gagaguta said families feel disconnected from district leadership after the regional restructuring and presented a petition sent to the County Board of Education; she urged trustees to support localized advisory structures.
Other speakers (including Sujata Dhar, Vasilah, and Gabriela Conley) described positive local programs such as peer-connect and autism acceptance activities and said a district advisory committee would sustain family engagement and improve communication. The superintendent responded during public comment that the district's director of special education is already working with neighboring districts and that the district expects to have a local advisory committee in place next year; trustees were asked to consider assigning a board liaison at a future governance meeting.
