Pickerington, OH: One in seven students have IEPs; 'We're seeing an increased number of those students'

June 13, 2025, Fox 28, Columbus, OH: Pickerington Schools expanding special education staff amid growing student needs 

As classrooms across Central Ohio file out for summer break, school leaders are already working to address a growing challenge of how to best support students with disabilities.

Pickerington Local Schools, one of the largest districts in the state, is expanding its team of intervention specialists, specially trained educators who work with students who have individualized education plans. Out of the district’s 14,000 students, approximately 2,000 currently have Individualized Education Plans (IEPs). That number continues to rise from families moving into the district.

Data from the Department of Education and Workforce shows more than 17% of school-aged children have disabilities and more than 99% are provided with IEPs to guide personalized instruction and services.

"You can see that our population is growing throughout the city," Malika Jefferson said, Interim Executive Director of Student Services with Pickerington Local Schools. "As families enter our neighborhood, so does the population of students in our neighborhood. We're seeing an increase of special education students coming into our district. That means more students who need targeted academic, emotional, or behavioral support.”

To address this growing need, Pickerington is working to hire roughly a dozen new intervention specialists this summer. Open interviews were held Friday at the district office, and more sessions are planned later this month.

"Our district, like any district in Central Ohio is seeing an increased need for those experts in the field who can really hit home for our students with those diverse, complex needs," Ben Baptist said, Principal of Lakeview Junior High School. "We're just trying to cast a wider net to bring candidates in who might be able to help us out."

“Our goal is not just to support students, but to also reduce teacher caseloads and avoid burnout,” Alesia Gillison said, Chief Academic Officer & Asst. Superintendent with Pickerington Local Schools. “This hiring push is about ensuring our staff and students have what they need to succeed. There's a shortage of intervention specialists across the country. That's why we're trying to be proactive as opposed to being reactive."

"It might be academic. It might be social or emotional," Jefferson added. "We have students that have some behavioral challenges that we need to increase their skills on. There's a variety of reasons that students would qualify for an IEP. "

The positions will be distributed among buildings with the most immediate need, including junior high and elementary schools.

Baptist said the additional staffing will have a direct impact. "We're seeing an increased number of those students," he told ABC 6. "It really helps to have the staffing that we need to be able to provide those services for the students. We want to make sure that we are meeting the students where they are and that they have the support that they need."

While the cost of these hires will come from the district’s budget, leaders say it’s a necessary investment. And Pickerington isn’t alone. Surrounding districts are also scrambling to fill similar roles.

"I was on the phone earlier this week with a superintendent in a neighboring district," Gillison added. "She was asking me what I was doing to secure intervention specialists."