HUTTO ISD
HUTTO — Trustees authorized Superintendent Jeni Neatherlin Thursday night to negotiate settlement agreements with two families who have filed special-education disputes against the Hutto Independent School District.
Trustees Jan. 9 also discussed revisions to the board’s operating procedures, highlighted goals from the school district’s strategic plan tied to the superintendent’s yearly evaluation and approved the 2025 school board election and a new athletics director.
A mother involved in one of the cases addressed the situation in a public comment after the board returned from a closed session that began the meeting, a period when trustees conferred with a lawyer on potential actions and resolutions.
The school board ended the night with a unanimous vote, with board Secretary Shara Turner absent, to begin resolving the disputes. The mother, however, left the meeting before the action was announced.
During her comments, the mother said her son, who has a disability, experienced neglect from the school district, resulting in four months of missed classes.
“Over the past months, I’ve witnessed a system, a school system, that has failed to uphold its responsibility to provide education, support and dignity,” she told the board.
While the mother and her family have dealt with the issue, she said other parents have shared similar stories with her, citing “neglect, a lack of communication, inadequate resources for their children and with disabilities.”
“These families, like mine, feel abandoned by the very system that promises inclusion, equity and a quality education for every child. This pattern of neglect is not just disappointing. It is unacceptable,” she said. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act ensures children with disabilities have a free, appropriate public education, or FAPE, through special education and related services, according to the IDEA website. A special-education due-process complaint can be filed “when there is a concern that a school district or other public agency has violated federal or state special- education requirements,” according to the Texas Education Agency Special Education Dispute Resolution Handbook.
A due-process hearing can be requested under IDEA regulations if the complaint regards a disagreement about the identification, evaluation, educational placement or services of a student with a disability and/or about the provision of a FAPE to a student with a disability between a parent and a school.
The mother ended her comment with a call to action for trustees.
“Tonight, I ask this board to ensure no other parent or child has to endure what so many of us have experienced.
I stand ready to collaborate, to advocate and to push for the challenges our children deserve,” she said.
After listening to the mother’s statement, the board continued the session and made three changes to its operating procedures.
First, the number of consecutive years in any one officer position someone can serve will be no more than three years rather than six.
Next, community members will be allowed three minutes to speak during public comment rather than five, giving more people a chance to have their voices heard.
Finally, trustees agreed to strike a section that only allowed the board president to respond to complaints on behalf of the board.
Then, with the start of a new calendar year, it was time to spotlight a goal from each priority in the strategic plan for Neatherlin to focus on over the year.
In January 2026, the board will evaluate Neatherlin based on:
• Increasing the percentage of students meeting grade-level expectations
• Implementing research-based evaluation systems providng high-quality feedback and coaching opportunities for employees
• Establishing strategic partnerships to mobilize collective impact
• Addressing capitalimprovement needs to accommodate growth and maximize efficiency in support of student success.
Through a unanimous vote, trustees also confirmed the school board election for May 3 and named William Compton, currently the district’s boys athletics coordinator, as the director of athletics.
