Ringgold discusses growing special education student population

By Michael Richter
mrichter@yourmvi.com
Ringgold School District is looking for ways to properly support its growing population of special education students, as Superintendent Randall Skrinjorich revealed Wednesday the district is struggling to do so with its current resources.
“We’re finding the number of evaluations that we have to do on an annual basis is skyrocketing,” Skrinjorich said. “The number of identified students coming in at the elementary level is higher than we’ve ever seen it in our lifetime working in this district. The amount of work that’s going on in the special education department is becoming overwhelming.”
Every three years, school districts across the state are required to submit a special education report for the Department of Education. Ringgold will post the findings from the report on its website today.
As a result of the report’s findings, district administration recommended that the board approve the creation of a school psychologist position.
However, the motion initiated by board President Carol Flament to create a school psychologist position and update the district’s organizational chart failed Wednesday after it did not receive a second from the board.
The board voted unanimously to approve the description of the school psychologist position.
“I’d just like to advise the board that we’ve approved a job description that we can’t put in because of the (failure to approve) the organizational chart,” Skrinjorich said.
The district currently has two full-time and one part-time psychologist through a contract with Pediatric Therapies Services.

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