Just under 18,000 students, or 18.5% of students, are utilizing special education services in the 2024-25 school year, said Gwen Coffey, assistant superintendent for special education, at the Feb. 24 board of trustees meeting.
“There have been some changes in state law in the way that we interpret special education in certain areas ... that has caused a significant rise in the number of students that are receiving specialized instruction through special education,” she said.
This rise in special education enrollment follows a regional trend across the Houston area, including in Spring, Klein, Fort Bend, Alvin, Friendswood and Pearland ISDs, Community Impact reported.
The details
Students enrolled in special education receive accommodations based on their Individualized Education Plan, or IEP. The IEP can alter the student's learning experience and determine what the student is expected to learn, Coffey said.
Most special education students are in either a general education with supplemental services or a special education classroom, Coffey said. A small number are taught within their own homes, hospital facilities, or assigned to nonpublic specialized schools.
Coffey said special education classrooms with a focus on academic support can take the form of the following:
- Early childhood special education for students ages 3-5
- LIFE, or Learning in Functional Environment, skills classroom for students in grades K-12 to support independent living
- Structured CAP, or Children with Autism Program, for K-12 students
KISD special education offerings include specialized services that are unique to the district, Coffey said. The district is also one of two in the state with a program supporting infants and toddlers up to age 3 with developmental delays, called ECI Project Tyke.
Additionally, KISD hosts the Regional Day School Program for the Deaf, or RDSPD, for six surrounding districts, Coffey said.
Looking ahead
Additionally, students may benefit from special education classrooms with a focus on behavioral support, Coffey said.
To improve support for students, KISD will open the Behavioral Learning Center in spring 2026 in the Merchant’s Way building. With the $10.9 million renovation, the program will provide adaptive behavior programming to 200-300 KISD students, she said.
“Very often, student behaviors need to be under control before we can teach academics,” Coffey said.
