Parent asks Tonganoxie board to keep special‑education teachers, warns of lost services

Misty Christiansen, a parent of a USD 464 student, told the board April 13 that decisions not to renew contracts for certain special‑education teachers would remove crucial supports for students with disabilities and future cohorts.

“Please reconsider your decision not to renew these teachers’ contracts for the next school year,” Christiansen said. She told trustees that the teachers provide inclusion, advocacy and transition supports and described them as “pillars of the Tonganoxie community.”

Christiansen asked the board to weigh the long‑term effect on students’ academic and social progress and urged trustees to consider how losing experienced special‑education staff would affect inclusion and post‑secondary readiness.

Board members did not take immediate personnel action during the public comment period. Several personnel items, including renewals and a hire, were later approved after an executive session. The meeting transcript does not record a direct board response to Christiansen’s request during public comment.