Big Spring presents special‑education plan; staff say about 26% of students receive services and 59 are in outside placements

Mrs. Chamberlain, the district’s supervisor of special education, presented the statutorily required three‑year special‑education plan and described how two stakeholder meetings shaped the document. She said the plan is intended as both a compliance and improvement roadmap that guides access, student outcomes and use of resources across the district.

The presentation identified four priority areas: inclusion and access, identification and supports, transition to adulthood, and staffing and capacity. Mrs. Chamberlain told the board the district currently serves roughly 26% of students who have some form of special needs and that many students are served in a full continuum of services including outside placements. She detailed that the district uses about 20 different outside placements and estimated the current number of students in outside placements at roughly 59, noting that slots and placements fluctuate during the year. “We have students in 20 different outside placements,” she said, and explained the district’s goal of building more in‑district capacity (for example, autism support) to reduce reliance on costly out‑of‑district slots.

Board members pressed on transitions, slot availability and parental engagement; staff said the district is working to strengthen transition matrices and communication with families and outside providers and will continue to monitor placement counts and return‑to‑district pathways.