At its April 21 regular board meeting, the Conroe ISD board of trustees adopted a new plan, dubbed the “homecoming plan,” to decentralize its special education program for the 2026-27 school year.
CISD Deputy Superintendent Ted Landry presented the decentralization plan, the motivation for which is so that special education students no longer have to leave their zoned campuses for education.
About the program
Landry said the program currently operates as a centralized system in which students are bused to campuses where they are not locally zoned.
The core idea behind the decentralized plan is to “ensure every student feels connected to their local zoned school community,” Landry said, while also making sure they are distributed in a way that allows every campus to provide individualized attention and resources for their success.
The plan itself has been in motion for the last three years at the district’s secondary schools; this new adoption will be the “final stage,” Landry said.
Many of the campuses have already been equipped for special education students. Landry said only minor adjustments, such as new desks or furniture, may be needed for the increase in students.
Cost to the district
Landry said that moving students closer to their zoned districts isn’t just about supporting their social development; it’s also a “more responsible use of taxpayer funds.”
An estimated eight bus routes are expected to be reduced by the new homecoming plan. The total cost for those eight routes is an estimated $800,000, while also freeing up eight bus drivers for other district needs, Landry said.
CISD also confirmed that there will be no planned budget cuts for the special education budget or teacher positions; this is a structural shift for the district.
The breakdown
As previously reported, CISD has seen an increase in special education students over the past few years.
Landry said the population has increased by 15% over the past five years, with 11,911 special education students currently enrolled in the district and 1,084 students waiting to be evaluated.
CISD had already planned to invest $3.2 million into the special education program, Landry said. The district will invest $2.5 million into different special educational program needs, including but not limited to:
- 15 new dyslexia teachers
- Four new speech pathologists
- Four new diagnosticians
- Four new school psychologists
The remaining $700,000 allows the district to re-establish 24 additional teacher roles to help support the program, alongside targeted positional realignment.
Looking ahead
CISD plans to host open house nights at all campuses receiving new special education students in May in order to prepare them for the upcoming semester, Landry said.