Louisiana DOE names special master for East Baton Rouge Schools to help fix special ed services
BATON ROUGE, La. (BRPROUD) — The Louisiana Department of Education has appointed a special master to improve special education services in East Baton Rouge Schools.
In a Feb. 29 letter, Louisiana Superintendent of Education Cade Brumley announced that EBR Schools will be appointed a special master to ensure the school district meets state and federal law requirements for children with disabilities.
Brumley chose Roxane West to serve as special master. West previously worked in DeSoto and Evangeline parishes as a special education program lead.
Brumley also said EBR Schools are recognized as a “high-risk” district and will require on-site compliance monitoring during the 2024-25 school year.
Last year, an audit also showed that the state’s Department of Education reportedly did not investigate all complaints regarding students getting special education services during the 2021-22 school year.
4 things you should know about measles amid an uptick in cases
The special master position announcement comes after EBR Schools was placed under federal investigation. A complaint regarding discrimination against a student was submitted to the U.S. Department of Education’s Civil Rights Office.
In the letter, Brumley said LDOE was aware of the reported programming issues in the East Baton Rouge Parish School System.
“The Louisiana Department of Education (LDOE) is aware of various special education issues relative to programmatic deficiencies in East Baton Rouge Parish School System’s (EBRPSS) provision of special education services,” wrote Brumley. “LDOE believes that EBRPSS’s actions are impacting the delivery of services to students with exceptionalities, while also significantly impeding the participation rights of parents. The concerns are indicative of system-wide deficiencies and require attention from the highest levels of EBRPSS’s leadership.”
The role of the special master is to assist the school system and ensure state and federal laws are being followed, and they are authorized to inform LDOE if there is any suspected noncompliance.
We have reached out to EBR Schools but not yet received a response.
Latest News
Louisiana lawmakers react to passed bill that could ban TikTok
Man who used an iron lung for decades after contracting polio dies at 78
For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to BRProud.com.
