I would like to make a few comments relative to the Special Education presentation from your previous meeting.

• Regarding Pottstown School District Special Education  
  (number of identified students):

A little over 17% of our identified special education students are speech only students which may or may not be counted by other school districts as part of their percentage of total special education population.  Take the 17% and subtract it from the total number of special education students here in Pottstown, the result would be an overall special education population of 17.28% as opposed to 20.06%. 

• Regarding the increase in staff as a direct result of opening our life skills and autistic classrooms: 

The facts resulting in the increase in staff numbers is that

the children that attend our autism and life skills classes were brought back to the school district.  These have always been our students, but were sent out to other venues for their educational program.  We felt it was in our students¡¯ best interests, as well as the district¡¯s, to have them educated here in their home town. 

• With regard to the cost out estimate:

All but one district in this county spends more than the

costing out estimate published by the Department of Education.  The difference in our spending per pupil is $1,464/pupil.  Many districts in this particular county range from nearly $5,000 to nearly $7,000 more per pupil, which means that Pottstown is actually at the low end compared to surrounding districts. 

• Let me remind you that the Special Education update addressed all alternative education sites and not just the MCIU.  So that no one leaves with a false impression of the relationship between Pottstown School District and the   Montgomery County Intermediate Unit, let me share the following:

The Pottstown School District enjoys an extremely

positive, cooperative and productive relationship with the Montgomery County Intermediate unit, and many individual members of its staff.  At the administrative, building, and classroom levels we frequently benefit from various types of expertise and resources, and truly appreciate the professionalism and responsiveness of their different department staff.  The IU staff who regularly work in the District to provide student services, training, and consultation demonstrate a high level of commitment to the success of our students and our District teams. A sampling of the services, support, and resources the MCIU provides are as follows:

1. Teacher, psychologist, support staff, and parprofessional training
2. Related services ¨C hearing support, vision support, orientation and mobility training
3. Assistive Technology devices, information and training
4. Consultation and on-site support for inclusion, co-teaching and behavioral support
5. Occasional evaluations that require specific areas of expertise (example:  autism and Applied Behavioral Analysis ¨C the design of specific strategies to address the needs of our more severe autistic students)
6. On-going consultation and team process for Response to Intervention and literacy issues
7. Support for interagency issues
8. Resources for transition programming at the secondary level
9. 4Sight training ¨C Training on how to use the 4Sight assessment tool to screen and monitor student success.  This tool has proven to be an excellent predictor of future PSSA results.
10. Coordination and leadership of various interest groups for interdistrict collaboration
11. Coordination of parent groups and trainings
12. Transportation for students that cannot be provided through in-district means

I appreciate the Board¡¯s indulgence in allowing me to address these points which have come to my attention through a variety of means.  Thank you.

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