OSCEOLA COUNTY, Fla. — Disability Rights Florida has launched an investigation into Osceola County Schools following controversial changes to its special education program.
The restructuring, which took place over the summer, involved consolidating special needs classrooms into designated hub locations and integrating more students with disabilities into general education classrooms. The district aimed to meet state standards for inclusivity and maximize special education resources.
According to the district, the state target for students in separate Special Education classrooms was 12.7 percent. But before the restructuring, 21.4 percent of the district’s special needs students were being served in a separate class setting.
Deputy Superintendent, Rene Clayton, explained in August that the restructuring was necessary because existing resources were spread too thin.
“Qualified people are hard to come by as well. Now we can really concentrate our services,” Clayton said.
The first phase of the investigation by Disability Rights Florida aims to gather detailed accounts of how the changes are impacting students, as the community continues to voice concerns about the restructuring’s effectiveness.
Bhavna Hemnani, a parent of an autistic and non-verbal child affected by the changes, expressed concern that her son has regressed due to the lack of necessary support. “He was reading. You would see him, you know, pick up a book,” Hemnani said, noting her son’s progress has stalled.
Hemnani told Channel 9 her son’s behavior has worsened ever since he was moved from his community school to the new hub location.
Daryl Greenwood, a special education advocate for about 80 students in the district, is now urging parents to share their stories with Disability Rights Florida to provide a comprehensive view of the situation.
“It’s extremely important that the stories are submitted so that Disability Rights truly has the entire picture of what is occurring here in Osceola School District,” Greenwood stated.
The non-profit, Disability Rights Florida, is the state’s designated Protection and Advocacy organization.
According to the organization, that official designation means it has special access to any agency, institution, and organization that affects or involves people with disabilities.
“We need examples from parents as to how the changes are affecting their students in order to determine if we should proceed with advocacy or legal action. It would be very helpful if parents could take a look at the examples that we provided on our website and call us if they are experiencing some of these situations,” said a Spokesperson for Disability Rights Florida.
You can Submit your story to Disability Rights Florida using their Online Intake Form or contact: (800) 342-0823.
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