Kinnelon details special‑education expansions and intervention training; a parent raises space concerns

Mrs. Davidman, supervisor of student services K–12 for the Kinnelon School District, outlined a number of changes intended to strengthen services for students with disabilities, from preschool through high school.

“We started our full day preschool,” Davidman said, noting the district moved from four half‑day sections to two full‑day preschool classes to meet needs and reduce travel for young children. She said speech services that had been housed offsite would be located at Keele and Cisco for preschool students so they would not have to travel back and forth.

Davidman described program expansions at Keele including three full‑day co‑taught classes (one per grade) and a new consult model for resource support that preserves students’ IEP supports while providing more independent learning opportunities. The district will invest in staff training: several special‑education teachers will receive Orton‑Gillingham training, one teacher completing a two‑year Orton‑Gillingham certification will serve as Keele’s reading intervention specialist, and the district also has a Wilson‑certified teacher to provide direct instruction and training at Stony Brook.

On assistive technology, Davidman said the district formed a team of related‑service staff (speech, OT, PT) to centralize supports like text‑to‑speech and communication tools, and she described a streamlined speech referral form intended to reduce unnecessary referrals. She also said the district has developed a database approach to deploy paraprofessionals based on learner behavior and independence goals and will monitor progress to adjust IEP services.

During the public Q&A, parent Loretta Orlando said she was worried that moving speech to Keele would create cramped conditions: “I have a child, Akeel, first grader, special ed. One thing that wasn’t mentioned was the real space issues… you have 8 special ed kids in a classroom that’s about the third of the size of a regular classroom.”

Davidman responded that an eight‑student resource class can be appropriate and that room assignments and use are being planned by the staff member in charge of room use (identified in the presentation as Mrs. Olawali); she said specific room‑use details would be addressed when Olawali returns to work.

Why it matters: the changes affect early‑childhood placement, in‑class supports, intervention capacity and how services are scheduled and staffed. Parents attending the forum asked for clarity about physical space and specific room assignments, which the district said would be resolved by operational staff.

Davidman invited parents to continue the conversation in follow‑up meetings and through a district parent group and said the special‑services leadership will provide more detail as room‑use planning is finalized.