College Station ISD releases FAQ page on restructuring, parents still have questions

COLLEGE STATION, Texas (KBTX) – Thursday night, College Station ISD parents received another email from the district, a link to a FAQ page about the restructuring efforts happening within the district.

Nine questions were answered on the webpage, but one district parent still feels like she’s in the dark.

“Having to Google, like, MTSS and educate themselves on whether that’s a good or a bad thing, and what it is, then probably your fact sheet isn’t as transparent or perhaps as well worded as it could have been,” Anne Newell-Fugate said.

Some terms were defined in the FAQ, the district clarified what intervention and enrichment services are, and what those mean for students. Intervention programs are designed to give students extra support to succeed. Enrichment programs, such as gifted and talented, are designed to give students more advanced coursework or projects.

Newell-Fugate is glad the district has shared more information on the restructuring plan but says the uncertainty is even affecting her children, one of whom receives pull-out services in the gifted and talented program.

“She actually started crying,” Newell-Fugate said about her student, “Like, that’s how much I think these kids that are in GT need that enrichment.”

The district’s FAQ page states those pull-out services will continue, but will not replace three specialists who are retiring.

”I think it will be very difficult to offer pull-out gifted and talented services with three fewer teachers, and that’s a large percentage that’s down, certainly, from the intervention standpoint,” she said.

Enrichment specialists will have their schedules adjusted to accommodate the changes in staffing, the district said.

She plans to attend the May 21 board meeting to learn more about the restructuring plan and hopes her questions will be fully answered then.

“You know, we’re not against change, but we need data to inform change and we need more information, and I feel like we’ve been given kind of the tip of the iceberg,” she said.

A spokesperson from College Station ISD said in a statement there will be enough positions for all interventionists to serve in different roles.

District officials confirmed interventionists taking new roles in the district will have their salaries and benefits align with what they were earning before.

On Tuesday, the school district shared a statement to CSISD families following rumors that were shared on social media about potential layoffs in the district as a result of restructuring plans.

Since this news broke this week, CSISD has declined interviews to speak with KBTX on-camera about the matter.