The District 161 school board agreed Feb. 10 to hire two special education teachers to improve special education services at Heather Hill and Western Avenue schools. Large class sizes are making it difficult for staff to meet the needs of these students.

Jackie Janicke, director of special education, told the board at its Jan. 29 meeting that since the beginning of the school year the district has enrolled 44 new students and 21 of those qualified for special education services. She said last year the district had just 15 new enrollees after summer registration. 

“Our small groups are getting very large for special education and it’s getting very difficult to serve all the different grade levels at those schools,” Janicke said. “We were fine in the beginning of the year, but as students were qualified and moving in that’s when the numbers increased.”

She told the board the district follows rules set by the Illinois State Board of Education through the evidence-based funding formula on how many minutes of special service students should receive.

Board members wondered if all the newcomers met residency requirements, but Janicke said a question on residency wasn’t something she could answer. When the 44 new students were registered, parents of 21 of those students said their child had an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) that spells out what service the child should receive, she said.

One board member asked if the parents gave a reason for their move to the district, wondering if they came for the special services. Janicke didn’t have an answer, and noted that parents aren’t asked for the reason they moved into District 161.

Board members also wondered if they should expect this spike in enrollment for the next school year. Janicke saw this high number “as very different” from past years.

The school board also agreed to hire another IT technician. The job would include troubleshooting and computer repairs, general technology support and assisting with testing now that tests are taken online. The person would offer service at all of the district’s schools.