<![CDATA[Special Education Action: New England and Mid-Atlantic States]]>https://www.specialeducationaction.com/s/new-england-and-mid-atlantic-stateshttps://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!0gl9!,w_256,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe412ffc4-95b6-4d59-8ea0-64bdf652d53f_512x512.pngSpecial Education Action: New England and Mid-Atlantic Stateshttps://www.specialeducationaction.com/s/new-england-and-mid-atlantic-statesSubstackMon, 25 May 2026 14:43:44 GMT<![CDATA[Office for Civil Rights Requires Springfield Public Schools (MA) to Address Elevator Access, FAPE, and Placement Concerns]]>https://www.specialeducationaction.com/p/office-for-civil-rights-requires-springfield-public-schoolshttps://www.specialeducationaction.com/p/office-for-civil-rights-requires-springfield-public-schoolsThu, 07 May 2026 16:23:58 GMTApril 8, 2026, U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) issued a resolution letter to Springfield Public Schools (SPS) in Massachusetts after investigating a complaint alleging disability discrimination involving elevator access at Springfield High School of Science and Technology.

April 8, 2026, Letter of Finding for OCR Case No. 01-25-1572
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OCR investigated one allegation:

“[W]hether the District is discriminating on the basis of disability against students and other individuals with mobility impairments by failing to properly maintain and repair the elevators at Springfield High School of Science and Technology (the School).”

Before OCR completed its investigation, SPS expressed interest in resolving the allegation. April 7, 2026, SPS entered into a resolution agreement with OCR after OCR determined its investigation had identified issues that could be addressed through a resolution agreement.

What Happened

Springfield High School of Science and Technology serves approximately 1,100 high school students. Its main building has four floors, two passenger elevators, and one freight elevator. According to OCR, the school was built in 1952 and last renovated in 1996.

The district acknowledged to OCR that the age of the elevators caused frequent and extended mechanical failures. SPS said:

“[I]t has spent $44,000 to maintain the School’s elevators in the last three years, but the two passenger elevators have operated only intermittently, and the freight elevator has been inoperable since 2023.”

That is not a small inconvenience.

For a student who uses a wheelchair, crutches, a scooter, or has another mobility impairment, a broken elevator can mean the student cannot get to class. For staff members with mobility impairments, broken elevators can also affect access to the building and their ability to do their jobs.

For students, this can directly affect access to instruction.

According to OCR’s letter of findings:

“In March 2025, a District Operational Manager reported that all three elevators were down so multiple students using crutches, a scooter, or a wheelchair were assigned to the library where teachers would drop off their schoolwork. In August 2025, the Principal reported that the School had “no working elevator” and a Food Service Manager relayed that the elevators “will be down for the year.” From September 2025 to January 2026, a Math Specialist expressed concerns that students with mobility challenges “will not be able to access their actual classrooms until next year” and were instead put in the library to “effectively teach themselves.” Multiple School staff emphasized that students with mobility issues “have no access to the third and fourth floor.””

That last part should bother everyone.

Students were not just waiting for an elevator repair. According to OCR’s summary of the evidence, students with mobility impairments were being assigned to the library, teachers were dropping off work, and staff were raising concerns that students could not access their actual classrooms.

That is where the access issue becomes an education issue.

Where SPS Ran into Trouble

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]]><![CDATA[U.S Department of Education Finds Maine Department of Education at Fault for 14 Counts of Noncompliance with IDEA]]>https://www.specialeducationaction.com/p/us-department-of-education-finds-maine-department-of-education-at-faulthttps://www.specialeducationaction.com/p/us-department-of-education-finds-maine-department-of-education-at-faultTue, 24 Feb 2026 14:07:53 GMTMaine Department of Education (MDOE) was cited for 14 violations of Individuals with Disability Education Act (IDEA) Part C. U.S. Department of Education’s Office (ED) of Special Education Programs (OSEP) spelled out the violations in a February 19, 2026, letter and report.

The issues include monitoring and improvement, data including the State Performance Plan/Annual Performance Report, fiscal management, and dispute resolution.

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]]><![CDATA[Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education at Fault for Multiple Counts of Noncompliance with IDEA]]>https://www.specialeducationaction.com/p/massachusetts-in-noncompliance-with-ideahttps://www.specialeducationaction.com/p/massachusetts-in-noncompliance-with-ideaThu, 13 Feb 2025 20:01:32 GMTU.S. Department of Education’s Office of Special Education Programs’ (OSEP) found Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (MDOESE) at fault for multiple counts of noncompliance with Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act (IDEA). Although OSEP’s letter of finding cites “ten identified findings of noncompliance with IDEA req…

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]]><![CDATA[U.S. Department of Justice Secures Agreement with Maine; Agreement Marks "New Milestone" in DOJ's Enforcement of ADA’s Integration Mandate]]>https://www.specialeducationaction.com/p/us-department-of-justice-secureshttps://www.specialeducationaction.com/p/us-department-of-justice-securesWed, 27 Nov 2024 18:12:00 GMTNovember 26, 2024, U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced an agreement with Maine to address the lawsuit it filed against the state September 9, 2024, for "unnecessarily segregating children with behavioral health disabilities in hospitals, residential facilities, and a state-operated juvenile detention facility," in violation of Americans with Disa…

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]]><![CDATA[U.S. Dept. of Justice Files Suit Against Maine]]>https://www.specialeducationaction.com/p/u-s-dept-of-justice-files-suit-against-maine-for-unnecessarily-segregating-children-who-have-disabilitieshttps://www.specialeducationaction.com/p/u-s-dept-of-justice-files-suit-against-maine-for-unnecessarily-segregating-children-who-have-disabilitiesTue, 10 Sep 2024 11:00:00 GMTThe U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) filed a lawsuit against the state of Maine Monday, September 9th, alleging that the state "is unnecessarily segregating children with behavioral health disabilities in hospitals, residential facilities, and a state-operated juvenile detention facility."

DOJ claims "Maine administers its behavioral health service syste…

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]]><![CDATA[Office for Civil Rights Finds Colonial School District Failed to Provide Equal Access to High Rigor Coursework to Students with Disabilities; Discrepancy in Data Reporting Identified]]>https://www.specialeducationaction.com/p/office-for-civil-rights-finds-colonial-school-district-failed-to-provide-equal-access-to-high-rigor-coursework-to-students-with-disabilities-discrepancy-in-data-reporting-identifiedhttps://www.specialeducationaction.com/p/office-for-civil-rights-finds-colonial-school-district-failed-to-provide-equal-access-to-high-rigor-coursework-to-students-with-disabilities-discrepancy-in-data-reporting-identifiedWed, 31 Jul 2024 11:00:00 GMTJuly 18, 2024, Office for Civil Rights (OCR) released the findings of its investigation into Colonial School District (CSD) in Delaware. OCR identified failures to provide equal access to high rigor coursework such as Advanced Placement (AP) classes to students who have disabilities. In addition, OCR identified discrepancies between the data reported by…

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]]><![CDATA[U.S. Dept. of Education Issues Differentiated Monitoring and Support Letter to New York]]>https://www.specialeducationaction.com/p/u-s-dept-of-education-addresses-idea-noncompliance-in-new-yorkhttps://www.specialeducationaction.com/p/u-s-dept-of-education-addresses-idea-noncompliance-in-new-yorkTue, 13 Feb 2024 12:36:00 GMTNew York

December 21, 2023, United States Department of Education (USDOE) Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) issued a Differentiated Monitoring and Support (DMS) status letter to New York State Education Department (NYSED).

Differentiated Monitoring and Support Status Letter and Chart
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December 21, 2023, USDOE OSEP issued a DMS status letter to NYSED.
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OSEP Director Valerie Williams states that the purpose of the letter is “to provide an update on the status of the findings …

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]]><![CDATA[U.S. Dept. of Education Issues Differentiated Monitoring and Support Letter to New Jersey]]>https://www.specialeducationaction.com/p/u-s-dept-of-education-addresses-idea-noncompliance-in-new-jerseyhttps://www.specialeducationaction.com/p/u-s-dept-of-education-addresses-idea-noncompliance-in-new-jerseyTue, 13 Feb 2024 12:00:00 GMTNew Jersey

October 20, 2023, U.S. Department of Education (USDOE) Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) issued a Differentiated Monitoring and Support (DMS) status letter to New Jersey Department of Education (NJDOE). OSEP director Valerie Williams states in the letter that it 1) “summarizes the current status of the findings” regarding OSEP’s May …

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