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Parents warn proposed special-education cuts will leave students with less support
Summary
Parents of students with disabilities urged the Granite School District board to clarify how proposed special-education staffing reductions will affect services, saying families need concrete plans before school starts next week.
Street Fortenberry, speaking for parents of special-education students, told the Granite School District board that proposed reductions to paraeducator and resource-teacher staffing will meaningfully reduce supports in classrooms.
"The bottom line is that students are going to have less support this year," Fortenberry said, urging the district to explain what changes families should expect at the secondary level before the first day of school.
Fortenberry listed administrative and funding issues — calling them a "leaky bucket" of federal, state and district problems — and asked for specifics about changes to resource-teacher and paraeducator staffing at middle and high schools. The comment came during the public-comment period when the board reminded speakers that each person has three minutes.
Heidi Smith read a statement on behalf of Mary Anne Davies, whose remarks urged the board to direct the district to produce a comprehensive analysis showing how it will meet Individualized Education Program (IEP) obligations if staff reductions proceed. The statement recommended increasing transition supports for students age 14 and older by engaging vocational rehabilitation services to attend IEP and 504 planning meetings.
Board members responded that staff would follow up: the superintendent's office and special-education supervisors were cited as points of contact and board members said administrators offered to provide tours of vocational programs and additional responses to the concerns raised.
