State report takes issue with 34 programs at Beth-Center
DEEMSTON – The state Department of Education uncovered 34 issues within the Bethlehem- Center School District’s special-education program that were not compliant with state standards, but a school official says the district is well on its way to making the necessary corrections. According to Dr. Chris Winiarski, director of special education, the district has met the corrective action deadlines set by the state, and training and other necessary changes are in the works.
Superintendent Dr. Herman Jackson said the state audit revealed some 34 compliance issues the district needs to improve, primarily in the disciplining of special needs students.
According to a summary of the findings from the Department of Education, the district’s number of expulsions is too high. The summary stated that the number of students with disabilities who are suspended should be, but were not during the audit, proportional to the number of other students who are suspended.
“Different rules apply when suspending special needs students,” Jackson said. “Schools are expected to provide continued education (during suspension). We also need to make adjustments to alternative-education programs to include special education teachers.”
Jackson said the audit, which covered the past five years, also found that the district was not providing education to students suspended for 10 days or more, which the state requires.
The audit, conducted in October, also showed that special-education teachers and staff are not properly trained. Findings also included a lack of training for parents of special-needs students and issues of how confidential records were filed.
Winiarski has said that training for teachers has been scheduled up until the next school year. She said the state requires that district employees in the special education department have a minimum of seven hours of training, which must be properly documented.
She said the district also must review all policies and make necessary changes by March 15.
School director Daniel Symcheck, reading a letter from the education department, said he thought the district had met all state standards after a 1997 audit, and he questioned Jackson’s warning of state compliance.
Winiarski said that an audit in 1997 named some of the same issues that the district is facing now. She said the district, according to the state, brought the special education department into compliance but since then has fallen back.
“They cleaned things up, but now were at the same place we were in 1997,” she said.
According to the summary, if the board fails to obtain prompt compliance through activities such as monitoring, “more rigorous steps can be taken to make sure compliance is resolved,” including disapproval or rescinded approval of the local special education plan, deferment of the disbursement of state or federal funds pending resolution of the issue or reduction of the amount of funds.