EdSource

Student enrollment has been declining in the McFarland Unified School District, so Superintendent Aaron Resendez was surprised to start this school year with an uptick in students who require special education services. The 3,282-student district in rural Kern County needed to act quickly to meet the needs of these students. Resendez said the district scrambled to find two teachers, paraprofessionals, and accessible classrooms for students with moderate to severe needs. “We had far more students with special needs enroll at the lower grade levels than we anticipated,” said Resendez. “We ended up adding two more classes.” 

What’s happening in McFarland Unified is happening in districts across the state. Even as enrollment declines in California, an increasing number of students are qualifying for special education services. Educators and researchers chalk up the increase in students requiring special education services to several factors: improved identification because of advocacy and reduced stigma, a rise in the number of students with emotional or behavioral disabilities, and pandemic disruptions that may have delayed early interventions.