PSD officials report growing special‑education caseloads; parents press for clearer data and site‑level implementation

Dr. Jodi Rommel, director of Integrated Services, presented the board with a data‑rich briefing on child‑find obligations and special‑education trends on March 10.

Rommel said PSD is serving 3,362 students through Individualized Education Programs (ages 3–21) and employs approximately 1,077 special‑education staff (certified and classified), with most staff working in schools rather than central office. She highlighted recent changes in eligibility trends: serious emotional disability and autism spectrum disorder counts each rose about 10% year‑over‑year. Rommel said the district’s special‑education percentage is roughly 12% of students — below some neighboring districts and national averages — and that special‑education counts have continued to grow even as total district enrollment declines.

Rommel and other staff described work to improve MTSS (multi‑tiered system of supports) alignment, universal screening (including Dibels in kindergarten), and expanded outreach to pediatricians and mental‑health providers. She said PSD is piloting an expanded screener in six elementary schools and that staff will report implementation findings; Dr. Olsen said the pilot involves over 60 educators and that analysis is underway with a report expected toward the end of May.

Public commenters and advocates used the community comment period to press for stronger, transparent data governance and civil‑rights protections. Danny Lawrence described frustrations obtaining transition planning and contacts for DVR/SWAP and said site implementation often differs from central office policy. Aaron Green urged the board to require Integrated Services to adopt CDE reporting definitions and to direct the superintendent to publish a data‑alignment plan; he also recommended a board directive affirming that IEP services and accommodations are not subject to reductions driven by enrollment changes.

Board discussion focused on capacity to serve more students, the need to reduce variance in identification across sites, and next steps to ensure timely referrals. Rommel said PSD has historically had strong in‑school services and low caseload ratios, and staff will continue professional development, principal support visits and data checks to reduce inconsistency. She also noted that some students exit IEPs (e.g., speech and language or developmental delay) after meeting goals, making year‑to‑year counts fluid.

What’s next: Staff will return with pilot findings and recommended implementation steps; Rommel recommended increased outreach and clarified parent referral pathways. Several public commenters asked the board to publicly support state legislation that would codify protections and clearer enforcement mechanisms for students with disabilities.