Audit reveals LJISD prematurely placed kids in special ed 

A comprehensive audit of La Joya ISD’s special education program revealed a slew of problem areas that triggered the district to create a multi-year approach to correct all the issues. 

Bellwether Education Partners conducted a deep audit of the last four years of LJISD’s special ed program. In addition to examining data and paperwork, the firm spoke to families, students and educators throughout the district, and spent time in the classroom. Their findings included low student success outcomes, a lack of teacher training and an unclear strategy for identifying students with special needs, which likely resulted in the district prematurely referring students to the special education (SPED) program. 

Currently, 14% of La Joya ISD’s student population is in special ed compared to the state average — around 10-12%. The audit revealed that the premature referrals likely come from a “lack of confidence among general education teachers to support behavior management.” 

“What we’ve seen in this district and what the audit really helped to show is that we jump really quickly to, ‘Oh, that student has a problem, they must be referred to special ed,’” Chief of Academics and School Leadership Dr. Derek Little explained. 

When premature referrals happen, it puts pressure on resource allocation. In a related matter, the audit also revealed that special education expenses “far exceed special education revenues.” Last year, the district had to use $14 million of general fund monies to balance the special education budget. The over-expense prompted Superintendent Dr. Marcey Sorensen to notify the Texas Education Agency and conduct the external audit.    

But for all the issues the audit revealed, Little explained that they start with a lack of a multi-tiered system of supports (MTSS), which looks at the pre-special education process. With a consistent MTSS model, educators are more equipped to decide on the correct intervention plans for struggling students. Establishing an MTSS model means investing in proper training among all educators, developing tiers of instructional support and creating a clear, shared vision throughout the district. 

“There’s a lot of things that teachers and educators should be doing for students regardless of whether special education ever comes into the picture. We’ve not been doing that well. We do not have an MTSS system in place yet,” Little said. 

The chief said developing an MTSS framework will be a major priority for the 2025-2026 school year. 

“We can’t make special education better until we ensure that only the students who truly need it are there,” Little said. “And that when referrals come through, that they are much higher quality referrals to give the diagnostician better information to know really what that student may need.” 

Superintendent Sorensen said the goal is to build “an ecosystem of support,” across the district from classroom teachers to diagnosticians, families and everyone in between. She called it a systemic shift in how the district thinks about student supports. But she also stressed that a multi-tiered system of supports is not the road to special education; it is a tool to help all students receive the best education possible. 

“This is about not letting students fall through the cracks,” the superintendent said. “So our campuses are going to be putting systems and structures into place and we’re going to help them do that.” 

The Bellwether firm also found that La Joya ISD has inconsistent quality and accuracy of individualized education plans (IEPs) for special education students. Every SPED student has a document (an IEP) that shows their needs, goals and the services used to achieve those goals. However, during the strategic planning town halls with parents, they reported that the IEPs seemed like they were copied and pasted across several students with different needs. Little said this is not the educators’ or diagnosticians’ fault, but acknowledged they need new training and an updated approach. 

Sorensen described IEPs as the blueprint for supporting each student and helping them achieve academic success. LJISD’s goal is to make the individualized education plans data-driven and ensure at least 85% of IEPs meet quality standards by the 2028-2029 school year. 

Another goal is exposing students to learning alongside the general population — the least restrictive environment (LRE). Studies show SPED students in LREs drive positive outcomes with the majority of students. Little said La Joya ISD has not focused on inclusivity the way the district needs to. But that will change in the systemic shift. Ideally, students will eventually be able to transition out of the special ed program and into general education. 

“What has often happened here in La Joya, and unfortunately in many places in the country, is ‘Once SPED, always SPED,’” Little explained. “That is not what it’s designed to be or to do and we’ve gotta do a better job of meeting those goals in the IEP, and showing that that student can be successful in a general education context without the supports.” 

While parents might feel uneasy about their child transitioning out of the SPED program and losing access to resources, La Joya ISD is committed to strengthening the relationship with families so they can trust the process. 

Additionally, Little explained that students could return to the special ed program if necessary. 

“Special education needs do not stay consistent across the entire 14 years a student may be with us from pre-k3 to 12th grade,” he said. “And so the nimbleness that takes from us…[it’s] back to quality IEPs and what’s going into that has to get better.” 

The chief admitted that looking at all the areas where the district needs to improve and the strategies to get there was “a little bit overwhelming,” due to the urgency and numerous actions the district must set forth. But he and his team have already put together a detailed path to help LJISD get where it needs to be by the beginning of the 2028-2029 school year. 

“We want to be transparent with…the community: we are not going to be able to focus on all of those things at the same time,” he said. “…But we are fully committed to achieving that vision, achieving better outcomes for our students and taking on the transformation that’s needed in special education in this district.” 

The audit findings and the board presentation will be available on the La Joya ISD website and in the district newsletter.