Special‑education office reports stable budget and rising transition caseloads

Ken Baldus (speaker 9) presented a detailed special education summary to the board, reporting current caseloads, staffing and program priorities.

"This year, we are have 15 FTEs allocated to the special education department, including one transition specialist," Baldus said. He reported 222 students currently receive special education services (a small decrease from prior counts), with about 30 students placed out of district and a recent increase in transition‑age students. Baldus said approximately four students were in the process of initial evaluations at the time of the meeting and could be found eligible in the next 30–40 days, which would change caseload counts.

On budgeting, Baldus said roughly $6,580,000 is budgeted for special education; he also noted the district’s transportation budget dedicates about 55% of transportation dollars to special‑education transportation and off‑site placements. Baldus described program goals for the coming year including preparatory work ahead of Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) cyclical monitoring in 2027–28 and continued focus on IEP creation, co‑teaching models and attendance interventions for students in the special‑education program.

The board asked whether the district is the primary local provider for transition services; Baldus said the district provides specialized transition services and partners with vocational programs and community colleges (some students take trial courses at Triton or College of DuPage while remaining on district caseloads).