If you’ve ever felt like the special education system moves slower than your child’s needs, you’re not imagining it. Parents in Crestwood, Pennsylvania are experiencing this firsthand—and the district is finally listening. Crestwood Superintendent Natasha Milazzo announced at the Feb. 19 school board meeting that the district is revising its special education policy, a move that comes amid rising legal costs and growing parent concerns about transparency and inclusion.
District Pursues Policy Revision
Crestwood School District is undertaking a comprehensive revision of its special education policies, as required by state regulations every three years. Superintendent Natasha Milazzo announced the initiative at the Feb. 19 school board meeting, revealing plans to create a steering committee that will include parents, guardians, staff, faculty, and school board members.
In the days leading up to the meeting, Milazzo and Special Education Director Annie Moran reached out to select parents to serve on the committee. However, some parents expressed concern that not all families of special education and gifted-education students had been contacted about the opportunity to participate.
Pennsylvania district is revising special education policies after parent concerns and rising legal costs. Here's what this means for families fighting for better support.
Transparency and Inclusion Concerns
One parent at the Feb. 19 meeting called for the creation of a community focus group separate from the steering committee, arguing that a broader forum was needed for parent input. School board member Nanci Romanyshyn, who has worked with visually impaired students and advocated for special education reform, similarly expressed disappointment that she had not been informed about the process.
“I am disappointed that I did not know about this and everybody knows my significant concerns and passion for special education,” Romanyshyn said at the meeting. “We need to have transparency and I really want to be open to more parents and community involvement.”
In response, Milazzo indicated the district would conduct further outreach to the school board and community, and expressed interest in circulating a special education survey among parents and guardians. The district must submit its final plan to the state Department of Education by May 1.
Quote: I am disappointed that I did not know about this and everybody knows my significant concerns and passion for special education. We need to have transparency and I really want to be open to more parents and community involvement. Attribution: Nanci Romanyshyn, Crestwood School Board Member
Laura Lurns · Learning Success expert
Rising Legal Costs Drive Reform
The policy revision comes as Crestwood faces mounting legal costs related to special education services. Business manager Thomas Benz reported in January that the district’s special education legal costs rose dramatically—about six-fold between the 2021-22 school year and 2024-25, reaching $216,000.
At its Feb. 19 meeting, the school board approved a two-year contract with attorney Angela Evans at $200 per hour to serve as special education legal representative. According to the contract published on the district’s website, Evans will review current programming and services for compliance with state and federal law, assess prior special education settlements and legal costs, and represent the district in special education legal proceedings.
Romanyshyn, who had expressed concern about rising costs in January, said she consulted with special education directors she has previously worked with about monitoring expenses. “I think internally we’re going to have some changes in how we handle this going forward, so we can track these expenses,” she said. “We need to just get a better overview.”
Key takeaways
- Policy Revision Underway: Crestwood School District is revising its special education policies with a new steering committee including parents, staff, and school board members.
- Legal Costs Rising: Special education legal costs increased six-fold from 2021-22 to 2024-25, reaching $216,000, driving the need for reform.
- Parent Inclusion Focus: Parents are advocating for broader community input beyond the steering committee, with a survey planned for further outreach.
Bullying Concerns and Student Support
Beyond policy revisions, parents raised concerns about bullying and harassment targeting students on the basis of disability. One parent urged the district to implement venues for proactive dialogue to “change the minds and hearts of students” and emphasize values of inclusion and respect beginning in early grades.
Superintendent Milazzo highlighted existing efforts, including the Aevidum Club—a student-directed group emphasizing mental health—which has expanded from the middle and high schools to now include elementary students. She also noted the district is exploring updates to anti-bullying programs and mentioned the Safe2Say Something program, which allows students to report incidents anonymously.
“We are doing things, but we can always do more,” Milazzo said. The district will publish any revised special education policy for public inspection for at least four weeks before a school board vote.
Quote: We are doing things, but we can always do more. Attribution: Natasha Milazzo, Crestwood Superintendent
Laura Lurns · Learning Success expert
Here’s what this story reveals: when parents speak up, systems can change. Crestwood’s situation demonstrates that the traditional approach—reactive, legalistic, and often adversarial—isn’t working for anyone, least of all the children it claims to serve. The district’s willingness to engage with parent concerns, even imperfectly, is a step in the right direction.
But let’s be clear: policy revisions alone won’t transform outcomes for children developing different skills. What truly changes lives is when we shift from managing limitations to building capabilities—when we treat every child as capable of growth rather than defined by their current challenges.
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Your school district must evaluate your child free of charge if you ask in writing, whatever your income and whatever the outcome (US, 34 CFR 300.111 and 300.301(b)). That route takes time and answers a different question than you do. This one starts today, from what you already know.
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References
- Crestwood to revise special education policies - Citizens' Voice
