Proactive and Preventative

Now that many families have had a chance to review the district’s Special Education & Intervention Review, we wanted to share some of the biggest takeaways in plain language. The report confirms something families have been saying for a long time: Many of the struggles families are experiencing are real, and they are happening across the district — not just in one classroom, one program, or one school.

Special education students make up 1/5 of our district. If we don’t engage in conversation and submit questions to the upcoming forums, their needs won’t be part of the conversation. Let’s make sure our kids and families are represented and they remain part of the conversation.

The Somerville Special Education Parent Advisory Council (SEPAC) is committed to fostering transparency and accountability within our district's special education services. In line with these goals, SEPAC proactively requested the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education's (DESE) Annual LEA Special Education Determination Matrix for Somerville Public Schools through a public records request. SPS has received a "Needs Assistance (NA)" determination.

RFK Jr. proposed a federal autism registry, triggering immediate alarm among autistic individuals, families, clinicians, and disability-rights advocates. Kennedy described this project as part of a nationwide “disease registry,” mischaracterizing autism as a disease rather than a lifelong neurodevelopmental disability.

SSEPAC response to budget presentation

On March 10, 2025, the School Committee unanimously passed a Resolution to Support Persons with Disabilities. Thank you to Leiran Biton,...

Inclusive Recreation Survey Therapeutic Recreation ensures that individuals of all abilities have the appropriate support to participate...

SSEPAC has been diving into the numbers to better understand how Special Education students are performing within SPS. If you are...