GREENVILLE COUNTY, S.C. (WSPA) – Greenville County Schools will commission an external review of its special education program.
The proposal was presented by district staff to the Greenville County School Board of Trustees on Tuesday.
This will be the district’s first review of special education services since 2014. It will involve focus groups to get input from parents.
“We could receive ideas on guidance on different training processes, different strategies to be successful and best practices from other areas,” Chuck Saylors, the Area 20 representative on the School Board of Trustees, said. “There are countless opportunities that we could receive from this.”
There are 12,588 special education students enrolled in Greenville County Schools, according to the district. School leaders estimate the district will spend more than $114 million on special education services during the 2024 school year.
In the last decade, the district said it has made strides to provide more services to students with special needs, including offering more training to staff. Graduation rates among students with disabilities have increased from 33% in 2013 to 66.5% in 2024, according to the district.