The United States Department of Education’s Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) will be in Texas the week of May 6, 2019 to conduct site visits in selected districts regarding services to students with disabilities.
“We are pleased to host OSEP representatives as part of their TEA monitoring activities,” said Michele Martella, Comal ISD’s Director of Special Education. “This is a great opportunity for us to showcase our robust service models for identifying and serving children that translate into authentic and meaningful outcomes for children. Comal ISD boasts a 12.2 percent district representation rate, which is well above the state average.”
The Office of Special Education randomly selected Comal ISD along with five other districts in the state to assess the district’s ongoing progress in the education of students with disabilities. Representatives with OSEP will visit Rebecca Creek and Startzville Elementary Schools to meet with district staff and review district, campus and child-level data, as well as policies and procedures regarding special education services.
“In Comal ISD we are serving more than 2,900 students with special education needs,” said Andrew Kim, Comal ISD Superintendent. “This year alone, we will be evaluating more than 1,100 students. In addition, we have seen 307 students transfer into Comal ISD from other districts for our special education services. The need for increased special education funding to serve our most vulnerable students is needed now more than ever.”
Kim continued, “I am very appreciative of our special education teachers and staff who are dedicated in serving our students, as well as our principals and Special Education Department leadership. Their passion for our students is evident in the work they do each and every day.”