KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Park Hill School District parents voiced their concerns about changes in Special Education programs at a Monday night PTA meeting.
Parents like Leigh Grinter feel their voices weren't heard when the school district notified her that her fifth-grade son would need to change schools next year.
"We have spent a lot of time educating the students near him," Grinter said. "On how he talks, which is with a computer. We've spent a lot of time teaching the kids on how to communicate with him. And how long it takes him to respond if they are talking to him."
Grinter is one of many parents who turned out for the special meeting.
Parents had the opportunity to ask district leaders questions about the decisions that led to their students' needing to change schools.
Superintendent Mike Kimbrel told parents the district only discussed the changes with the families impacted.
KSHB 41 sat down with Kelly Wachel, Park Hill School District's chief communications officer.
"This is a result of a new school opening," Wachel explained. "We have our 12th elementary school opening next year, and we want to put kids in that new school. Redistricting was an attempt to rebalance enrollment, meet capacity at our schools. There's lots of factors involved in how we shuffle kids in a new school as we open a new school.”
Wachel told KSHB 41, there at 35 students impacted by the redistricting changes out of 1,300 special education students.
Park Hill School District's plans for the redistricting is a decision they say cannot make everyone happy.
The goal is to divide and disperse its specialized program resources in areas across the district.
Student placement predominately remains the same, but it would need to change based on a student's assessed needs.
"We’ve been meeting with our special education families who are impacted by this for the past month, month and a half, Wachel said. "That means communication with letters, conversations, we’ve done some screencast and FAQ’s to help meet the answers families are looking for," Wachel said.
Park Hill School District tells KSHB 41 that it has hired 20 new Special Education staff members, including seven teachers, six new psychologists, and one program coordinator.
"It's a huge benefit," Wachel added.
Kimbrel told parents at Monday's meeting that the district still has 21 open positions for special education programs.
Resources are a major setback for the Park Hill School District when it comes to the decision to group these students.
Parents are asking the district to consider their concerns before the next school year begins.
"My hope is that we can pause this and actually come about it the proper way," Grinter said. "To us, it seems like it was done behind closed doors. We need to do it the right way, like that way we did it with the redistricting. To make sure the community has a voice and we can talk through those challenges and make sure we are meeting the needs of all the kids."
Here is a copy of the email the Park Hill School District provided Special Education families, with links to additional resources on moving students:
Dear Special Education Community Council,
Thank you for reaching out to share your concerns, advocate for our students, and asking important questions. We hear your need for clarity, transparency, and inclusion and want to make sure we are meeting the needs of our students, families, teachers, and the Park Hill Community.
In this email, you will find the following:
1. Program Location Screencast [youtube.com] – this screencast explains the processes, timelines, and purposes for program locations.
2. Survey Link for Program Location Feedback [forms.office.com] – Please share your feedback with us about the program locations described in the screencast. We will use this information to help guide next steps.
3. Link for Focus Group feedback [forms.office.com] – please fill out the link if you are interested in sharing your feedback in small group meetings. We hope that these small group meetings allow for each voice to be heard and to provide personalized attention surrounding each student’s unique needs.
4. Frequently Asked Questions (attached) – We have compiled your questions into one document with answers and links for pertinent information.
Thank you again for your engagement and passion. We look forward to following up with you soon.
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KSHB 41 reporter Ryan Gamboa covers Miami County in Kansas and Cass County in Missouri. He also covers agricultural topics. Share your story idea with Ryan.