BY WESLEY GARDNER CONTRIBUTIONS BY HANNAH BROL & HALEY VELASCO
Zooming out
Why it matters
Looking ahead
In the 2022-23 school year, the most recent data available from the National Center for Education Statistics, roughly 7.5 million students in the United States received special education services, which equated to roughly 15% of all public school students.
Phipps said the district is hoping Texas lawmakers will allot more funding for special education services before the legislative session wraps up in June. On April 7, senators approved SB 568, which would create an eight-tier system basing special education funding on the level of services districts provide. The bill includes a one-time investment of $125 million to support teacher and staffing pipeline needs statewide. Phipps said he believes HISD will continue to expand its programing to accommodate growing student needs. “This includes increasing the number of specialized staff, enhancing intervention services and providing additional training to ensure that teachers and service providers are equipped to meet the diverse needs of students,” he said.
Since 2015, HISD’s special education workforce rose from about 745 employees to around 1,180 this year, district data shows. Despite receiving a $47.2 million special education allotment for the 2023-24 school year, HISD still spent roughly $83.3 million on special education payroll alone the same year, according to district data. Phipps said the increased workforce helps HISD run initiatives tailored to special needs students, including the Mosaic Program, which supports disabled students as they transition out of high school. Eva Aguirre—director of programs at The Village Centers, a local nonprofit that supports young adults with disabilities as they transi- tion out of high school—said the nonprofit has seen a similar rise in demand for services. “We’ve had many referrals here in the last few years from [HISD’s] Mosaic program,” Aguirre said.
Increase in special education students
+21%
Texas is the lone state to increase its special education enrollment by over 20% from 2017 to 2021.
+106,000 additional students
Texas made up more than half the national growth in special education students from 2017 to 2021.
The nation saw an average of 3% growth in special education students from 2017 to 2021.
SOURCE: TEXAS EDUCATION AGENCY/COMMUNITY IMPACT
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LAKE HOUSTON - HUMBLE - KINGWOOD EDITION
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