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The Pleasanton Unified School District Board of Trustees will be receiving an update Thursday on the current state of the district’s special education department and how it has been handling increases in student needs, fiscal impacts and compliance efforts.
According to the April 30 staff report, the presentation will kick off with a review of key trends in the special education world including data on how the prevalence of students with severe disabilities has “doubled statewide and tripled in PUSD since 2000-01.”
“Over time, the district has experienced a notable increase in the complexity of student needs, with more students requiring intensive supports and services,” the staff report states. “This shift has contributed to rising costs, with special education accounting for 20% of the district’s general fund expenditures.”
Staff noted that the majority of cost increases associated with the special education department are largely attributed to paying for staff’s salaries and benefits. According to the staff presentation, teacher and service provider salaries have increased by $3.2 million since 2019.
However, PUSD said these costs are necessary in order to “ensure appropriate services, maintain legal compliance, and meet individualized student needs.”
During the meeting, staff will also go over the district’s efforts to strengthen its special education systems and how the department is working on reducing disputes through “proactive practices.”
“Investments in staff training, collaborative problem-solving, and early resolution strategies have contributed to a reduction in due process filings and an increase in alternative dispute resolution, resulting in more timely and constructive outcomes for students and families,” according to the staff report.
“Additionally, the district continues to expand inclusive practices, particularly in early education, to ensure students with disabilities have meaningful access to general education environments and opportunities to learn alongside their peers,” staff continued.
Toward the end of the presentation, staff will go over what the department is doing to respond to some of the challenges it faces and other opportunities they are looking into to better serve students.
“These include refining early childhood services into a more cohesive continuum, addressing the overutilization of one-to-one aides to promote student independence, expanding in-district program options to meet diverse needs, and building staff capacity to deliver high-quality instruction and case management,” according to the staff report.
The board’s open-session meeting is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. Thursday (April 30). Read the full agenda here.
In other business:
* Trustees will be voting to approve a contract with Right At School, a before and after school program, which would help provide even more on-campus childcare options throughout the district.
“Partnering with Right At School allows the district to eliminate waitlists at impacted sites and provide a flexible service model that complements — rather than competes with — the … Kids Club program,” according to the staff report. “This dual-provider approach ensures PUSD meets the diverse childcare needs of our community while maximizing every available square foot of district facility space.”
According to staff, the agreement would run until July 31, 2027 and incorporate the 2026-27 summer session.
* As the district gets set to break ground on the multi-million dollar Amador Valley High School campus renovation project, which seeks to build new athletic and performance arts facilities, the school board will first need to approve a $793,560 agreement with MWC Associates for inspection services.
The Inspector of Record services agreement, which will be paid for using funds from the $395 million Measure I bond, covers the anticipated project duration from May 26 through August 2028.
* The board will be reviewing and discussing the potential adoption of a new curriculum for secondary mathematics during Thursday’s public hearing. The proposed instructional materials will be for middle school math, algebra 1 and 2, and geometry.
No formal action will be taken.
“The public hearing is intended to inform the Board of Trustees and the community of the process used to evaluate instructional materials and to provide an opportunity for public input prior to Board action at a subsequent meeting,” according to staff.
If adopted at a later date, the proposed curriculum will be implemented beginning in the upcoming school year, according to the staff report.
* Staff will be seeking the board’s approval of two resolutions that aim to recognize teacher appreciation week, which runs from May 4-8; day of the teacher, which is on May 5; and classified school employee week, which runs from May 17 to May 23.
