Special education enrollment rises; district expands programs and lists targeted stipends

Mrs. Mathis presented the district's instructional update on special education, reporting substantial growth: "our special education department has experienced substantial growth over the past 5 years, rising from 5,270 students in 2021 to 8,000 students in 2025." She outlined a continuum of programs (inclusion, resource, self-contained, structured learning classrooms, social–emotional support and compliance programs) and said program additions over the past five years brought the total to 71 self-contained classrooms, with 20 slated to open next school year.

To support retention and staffing for an expanding special education population, Mathis listed stipend levels for special education staff: inclusion and resource teachers $2,000 and paraprofessionals $1,000; self-contained teachers $5,000 and their paraprofessionals $1,500; compliance self-contained teachers $10,000 and paraprofessionals $7,500; and PowerPoint program teachers and paraprofessionals receiving higher stipends as specified. Trustees asked how programs are placed across campuses; Mathis said placement is driven by available space and student home campuses and acknowledged transfers can be emotionally difficult for staff and families.

Mathis also noted that PEIMS-submitted data show the district's special education share has risen and that state verification through TEA may change the figures. Board members asked whether recent legislative funding increases for special education would appear next year; Mathis said those funds are expected for 2026–27 but details and allocation methodology remained unclear from TEA guidance at the time of the presentation.