Two state investigations into Academy District 20 find issues with special education programs
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) - In 2023, the Colorado Department of Education worked on four separate investigations in Academy District 20 regarding concerns about individual students' needs being met through Individualized Education Plans (IEPs).
Two of those investigations found that the district failed to meet standards set out by state law to educate those children properly.
The common theme in those two complaints is that the district did not provide individualized education plans tailored to a student's needs.
In one of those cases, the parents of a student said they had to pay tens of thousands of dollars out of pocket for private education outside of the district. The state decided not to reimburse the parent for that private education in that case because they transferred their child out of the district too soon among other reasons.
D20 did not comment on specific issues out of either investigation, but, did say they are working with families to provide more support.
Nicole Gross, a D20 special ed parent believes many of the issues are because of lack of training.
"I think they need additional training. I think we need strong leadership in the special education department at the district level. And to be honest, I think we need more support for our teachers and our staff that are in the rooms day to day," Gross said.
The State Department of Education acknowledges there is a staffing shortage for special education teachers statewide. They are working now to hire and retain more teachers through various incentive programs.
"We have a teacher shortage in special education. We also have it in math, science, world languages and early childhood education," Jeremy Meyer, the Director of Communications for the Colorado Department of Education said. "But special education is tough to find teachers."
The state investigative reports don't detail which schools had these issues. D20 provided a statement to KRDO13 today. It can be read below.
Academy District 20 endeavors to meet its Free and Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) obligations, meaning we strive to offer consistent and appropriate education for students regardless of disability. D20 is working in partnership with the Colorado Department of Education to fully resolve any findings through a Corrective Action Plan (CAP). Although we will not expressly comment on individual claims associated with a complaint, D20 is committed to working with all of our families to ensure the success of each and every student. Academy District 20 continues to closely monitor our learning environments and provide support for all classrooms on a regular and appropriate basis.
D20 Spokesperson
