Parents raised strong concerns at a recent Osceola County School District meeting about changes affecting Exceptional Student Education (ESE) students. The district has proposed significant adjustments to the way services for students with learning disabilities are provided, but parents argue these changes could negatively impact their children.
The district’s plan includes consolidating ESE students into at least one hub school per area and integrating some ESE children into regular classrooms. Parents, however, argue that these changes could result in discrimination against children with disabilities, pointing out that while Florida promotes school choice, students with learning disabilities have limited options.
Chris Rios, a parent of an ESE student, voiced his frustration, stating, “To sit here and say that one child who is neurotypical has every opportunity to go to school here in Florida, but my child, who is nonverbal and can’t talk, does not have that right, I think, is absolutely illegal and disgusting.”
The district’s proposal has been in place since March, with officials stating that the changes are meant to meet Individualized Education Program (IEP) requirements for students. The district maintains that the focus is on meeting educational needs, regardless of the location where services are provided.
In an email shared with WESH 2, the district explained that the conditions outlined in a student’s IEP must be met, and that the location where these conditions are met is secondary. However, parents argue that the terminology used by the district may be a legal strategy to justify the changes, while still making them potentially harmful to the students.
Daryl Greenwood, a special education advocate, criticized the move, saying that the new plan would take children out of their local schools, removing them from the community where they would interact with other children. “Those would be the kids they would be playing with after school or families interacting with,” Greenwood said.
Parents also raised concerns about the logistical issues created by the changes. For example, Michelle Chapman, whose daughter Kenya suffers from frequent seizures, worried about the potential risks during transportation. “What happens if that van breaks down? What happens if the nurse doesn’t administer her emergency medication in that three-minute window period to prevent permanent brain damage if she starts seizing on that van?” Chapman asked.
Greenwood also argued that the district’s plan has not been carefully thought out, calling it “volatile” and subject to constant change. He warned that the changes could result in significant harm to students and their families.
With the upcoming school year in 2025, parents are urging the district to reconsider its plans. They hope the district will pause the changes until a more thoughtful and collaborative solution is reached with input from the families directly affected.
