District plan worries parents

The parents of special education students who griped earlier this month about the way Newport-Mesa Unified School District is teaching their kids have legitimate complaints, district officials said, but school leaders are asking for patience as the special education department is revamped.

“I know we’re working on it, I know we’ve tried,” school board member Martha Fluor said. “There needs to be some compassion, there needs to be some give-and-take.”

Special education officials say many of the complaints stem from the special education department’s three-year-long overhaul.

Newport-Mesa aims to increase oversight of special-needs students’ educations, cut the department’s costs and rein in work with private agencies.

This is the final phase of the district’s plan, officials said, and it is the hardest part — having students transition from private specialists and programs to in-house district services.

“We need to slow down the process and allow the parents time just to grasp the situation,” Fluor said.

Costs associated with the transition should taper off in coming years as more students are taught from district educators, officials said. More than 80 cases of parents and district specialists clashing on what was the best teaching plan for the kids in recent years led to the special education department’s reorganization.

Some of those parents’ grievances came to head at a Nov. 13 school board meeting when several parents accused the district of ignoring their concerns and prioritizing the bottom line.

“[The parents] felt they didn’t have a choice. I feel we need to get on the same page and we’re not there yet,” school board member Dana Black said.

“It’s sad all the things that all the parents are saying,” school board member Michael Collier said. “We’re really concerned. We want the student to succeed.”

District officials expected some complaints.

“It’s understandable what they’re feeling,” district spokeswoman Laura Boss said. She emphasizes the district’s highest priority is a child’s education, not the cost of it. The district is making improvements, Supt. Jeffrey Hubbard assured them.

In-house services bring the child closer to the mainstream and provide better oversight, both significant advantages for the child, said Denise Knutsen, director of special education.

In 2005, Newport-Mesa officials tapped the Sacramento-based School Services of California group to evaluate the district’s special education department. The group plays a significant role in many local and state education administration policies.

After a two-month investigation, the group recommended that Newport-Mesa expand its services for autistic children in lieu of working with an outside agency and hire more special-education therapists.

That change can come at the cost of relationships cemented through years of one-on-one interaction between specialist and student, parents point out. The transition to district specialists is a months-long process, officials said.

The district will also focus on early intervention to curb later problems and consider children learning second languages when evaluating speech problems.

Newport-Mesa incurs higher special-education costs than county and state averages, according to a report issued in 2005.

While the federal government mandates that school districts provide free and appropriate education for students with disabilities, it does not always provide enough funding.

Newport-Mesa’s special-education budget is more than $40 million, and much of that has to come through the district’s general fund.

The department’s overhaul could take significantly longer than three years, Boss said. Nearby districts like Anaheim started similar transitions years earlier and are still working on it, she said.

JOSEPH SERNA may be reached at (714) 966-4619 or at joseph.serna@latimes.com. JOSEPH SERNA may be reached at (714) 966-4619 or at joseph.serna@latimes.com. JOSEPH SERNA may be reached at (714) 966-4619 or at joseph.serna@latimes.com.