2026-11-04 Work Session

Wake County Schools held a work session on November 4, 2026, focused on special education services, school support, family engagement, and student outcomes. Staff reviewed the new regional support model, teacher and family feedback efforts, and plans to pilot instructional shifts in an elementary, middle, and high school. The presentation also covered support for students with challenging behaviors, including 8–10 board-certified behavior analysts planned for January, and behavior support teachers assigned to 65 schools. The district is working with HR on centralized candidate screening and is in the contracting stage with a staffing agency to recruit and support candidates for hard-to-fill special education positions; the initial effort is intended to cover approximately 10–15 positions. No vendor name, contract amount, or final award was provided.

Board members asked about the staffing agency’s added cost, maximizing available resources, and the number of regional programs at individual schools. Staff said the agency arrangement is a small-scale trial, and district leadership noted that services required for students must be provided within available resources; the district is also seeking grants and advocating for increased state funding. The district is exploring support to reduce special education paperwork and plans to provide further updates. No procurement vote, contract award, or spending motion was identified.