MILTON — School District of Milton administration will bring a recommendation for special education open enrollment caps at the next school board meeting.
The recommendation is to open one special education open enrollment spot in at the high school level in guided flight, which is for students who require intensive supports because of complex needs, or the SOAR programming, which is for students who are in Beyond 18 programming based on their individualized education program.
There was a presentation of current special education open enrollment numbers at Monday’s board meeting. Per district policy, there is a presentation at the first Monday board meeting annually and recommendation for action at the second January meeting.
The open enrollment window for applying opens annually the first Monday in February.
A memo will be created outlining the process for determining space availability.
The school board is required to designate spaces for open enrollment for regular and special education students for the following school year at a January school board meeting. Criteria may include class size limits or student-teacher ratios, caseload or staffing capacity limits or considerations around projected enrollment or changes to special education services
The district’s 2025-26 open enrollment as of Dec. 3 was 434. In 2024, it was 442. That was down from 451 in 2023-24. It was 450 in 2022-23, 453 in 2021-22, 442 in 2020-21 and 444 in 2019-20.
Of those numbers, 41 in 2025-26 so far have been special education students. In prior years, there were 51 in 2024-25, 53 in 2023-24, 40 in 2022-23, 32 in 2021-22, 2020-21 and 24 in 2019-20.
Specifically for Guided Flight and SOAR at the high school level, there are 15 students projected for Guided Flight and SOAR, which includes current Milton-based students, move-ins and referrals. It is recommended there be two staff members for the programs combined.
Guided Flight at the middle school is expected to have six students, but 0.5 full-time equivalent staff, which means either a full-time staff member would have part of their duties as a focus on that or a part-time staff member would focus primarily on that.
Guided Flight on the intermediate level in grades 4-6 is expected to have 13 students with 1.5 FTE staff. Guided Flight on the elementary level is expected to have 19 students with 2.5 FTE.
Also, a special education program is cross-categorical, which is a program modified to meet individual needs. Cross-categorical on the high school level is expected to have 79 students with five FTE. Cross-categorical on the intermediate level is expected to have 64 students with 5.5 FTE. Cross-categorical on the elementary level is expected to have 65 students with 6.5 FTE.
Speech and language is expected to have 275 students with 7.8 FTE. Physical therapy is expected to have 43 students with 1.0 FTE. Occupational therapy is expected to have 108 students with 3.0 FTE. Early childhood is expected to have 13 students with 1 FTE. Deaf and hard of hearing and vision impairment are contracted services.
Deaf and hard of hearing is expected to have 12 students and vision impairment is expected to have four students.
The next school board meeting is Monday, Jan. 26 at 6:30 at the district office, 448 E. High St.
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