The Executive Director of the Champaign-Urbana Autism Network says she is working with some Galesburg School District parents who are less than pleased with how the district deals with at least some special education students.
Julie Duvall told the Galesburg School Board Monday night the way the district handles the Individualized Education Plans (IEP’s) of the district’s neurodivergent students leaves a lot to be desired in some cases. She read from a letter she claims she helped the parents in question write.
“The neurodivergent students with Individualized Education Plans are routinely being denied adequate supports our children require,” said Duvall, “both during the creation of IEP’s, as well as repeated failures to fulfill therapeutic support service minutes outlined in existing IEP’s.”
Duvall accused the district of sending students away to other schools close to Peoria, when District 205 is capable of handling the students themselves.
Superintendent John Asplund says it cost the district a significant amount of money to send a student out of the area, so it’s a decision not taken lightly.
But, as to specific allegations Duvall made…
“Admins falsifying documents, inaccurate and inconsistent records, and the district not following [Illinois State Board of Education] policies and protocols,” Duvall claimed. “For clarification, these are professional education records.”
“The State Board of Education just gave us a clean audit, and said we are running legal and proper programs in special education. We got that last week,” said Asplund. “I’m curious where those (allegations) came from. I’m not saying it’s untruthful, I’m just unaware of anything that was referenced there.”
Asplund says he’d think such allegations those would have been on his desk by now.
The district is dealing with one federal lawsuit in this regard, that Asplund can’t comment on.
But, both school board members and Asplund stand by the work the district’s Special Education department is doing.
“There are some issues that are unresolved. We do have some issues that are out there,” said Asplund. “To the level (of allegations) that (Duvall) is raising? No, I am not aware of those.”
Asplund claimed he had never seen or talked to Duvall prior to Monday night. A search of news stories indicates Duvall has made similar allegations against Champaign public schools recently, and Champaign is undergoing a similar ISBE audit. Any results have not yet been made available.
ISBE was named in the federal lawsuit against District 205. But, court records indicate, they were terminated from the case September 23.
“I am skeptical of the problems we heard about (Monday),” said Maury Lyon, board secretary. “I know we’re not perfect, but I have faith in our teachers.”
So does board member Jake Taylor.
“I think there’s two sides to every story,” said Taylor. “I hope the correct story comes out.”
In other action Monday night, District-205 board members, on a 6-0 vote with member Rod Scherpe absent, approved of the naming of the GHS Fieldhouse after local athletic legends Albert and Elbert Kimbrough.
