Preschool self-evaluation shows gains in social‑emotional measures; parents and experts press district on special‑education spike and ventilation

Director Marie Hicks presented the MCSD preschool program self‑evaluation, reporting that the program met all 25 compliance items required by the state and demonstrated strong student growth on the Desired Results Developmental Profile (DRDP). Hicks said the district saw a 24‑percentage‑point increase in students reaching the integrating level in the DRDP social‑emotional domain (from 21% in fall to 45% in spring), and that the program currently serves 60 preschool children with IEPs or IFSPs, 47 of whom are enrolled under exceptional‑needs eligibility.

Hicks described three core components of the evaluation (program instrument, DRDP, and class assessment) and said class observations by outside evaluators from the county placed the district above national averages in measured interaction quality. The director said action plans will focus on family engagement and professional growth—particularly social‑emotional learning and instructional supports guided by the CLASS framework.

During public comment before the presentation, Dr. Pam Russo (self‑identified) raised concerns about rising special‑education enrollment countywide and in MCSD. Citing public CDE numbers and local data, she said Merced City had 1,295 special‑education students (a 3.6% increase from 2022–23), argued that early COVID exposure may be a contributing factor in some cases, and urged the district to prioritize building ventilation and filtration upgrades (CO2 levels under 800 ppm, MERV‑13 filters, and five air changes per hour). Director Hicks acknowledged the special‑education counts (60 preschool students with IEP/IFSP; 47 under exceptional needs) and said the program holds reserve slots and coordinates with MCSD special‑education staff to streamline transitions from IFSP to IEP.

Several parents and staff spoke during the general public‑comment period about potential changes to special‑day classes (SDC) at John Muir and other sites; parents asked the board to reconsider any proposal that would collapse SDC sections or force students to change schools. Trustees acknowledged the concerns and directed staff to follow up and provide more information as the district considers staffing, enrollment and placement needs.

The board did not take final action on placement decisions at this meeting; they accepted the preschool self‑evaluation report and will continue follow‑up conversations on SDC placement and facilities planning.

Quote highlights
• "We are serving a total of 60 students who currently have an IEP or IFSP. Of those, 47 students are enrolled specifically under their exceptional needs eligibility requirement." — Marie Hicks, director of the state preschool program.
• "Many children have unrecognized long COVID... continuing to deny this will cause our community great harm." — Dr. Pam Russo, public commenter.