Prince William Co, VA: System sees "steady increase" in SPED students, especially autism

May 5, 2026, Inside NoVa:  Prince William County schools continue to expand special education services

Manassas, VA

Prince William County school officials recently provided an update on educating the 13,000-plus students with disabilities in the division, highlighting increased access to general education settings for those students.

The division's work with students with disabilities is bolstered by the newly-adopted strategic plan and fiscal 2027 budget, which provide support for both students and special education teachers, said Ashley Reyher, the associate superintendent for special education and early intervention, during an April 22 board meeting.

"By completing the superintendent's series of commitments to add two teaching assistants in all K-12 specialized programs, not only will our students with the greatest needs be supported at high levels, but this will also provide an opportunity for students to continually increase opportunities to be supported through inclusion settings," Reyher said.

The school system altered the ratio of programs for students with intellectual disabilities at the K-8 level and is now serving those students at a ratio comparable to programs for students with autism, which is a 1:8 student-to-teacher ratio. . . .

Students with disabilities are featured in many aspects of the division's strategic plan, Elevate 2030. Specifically, the plan includes an emphasis on "tier one" instruction, especially for math and targeting instruction for students with dyslexia, dyscalculia and ADHD. There are typically three "tiers" of support for students, which refer to levels of instructional and behavioral interventions. Tier one typically refers to universal strategies for all learners, or the least intensive level of support.

The division is also working on strengthening its programming for assistive technology, seeking to capitalize on emerging technologies and opportunities to modernize. . . .

The school system has seen a steady increase in the number of students who receive special education services. Reyher said the division's growth has been pronounced in three particular areas: students with autism, students with a health impairment and students with specific learning disabilities that require support in academic areas. . . .

The division also makes efforts to host social inclusion opportunities, such as unified sports and extracurricular opportunities.

Division trends show increased access to general education settings for special education students.

Just over 9,700 students in 2025 were served in the "Resource Model," where they spend the majority of their day in the general education setting supported by general education teachers and special education level one teachers in general education settings, and for some, small group settings. That number is up from 8,500 students in 2022.

Nearly 3,700 students in the 2024-25 school year increased the percent of time they spend in the general education setting compared to just under 3,300 in 2023-24 and roughly 3,000 students in the 2022-23 school year.

The increased number of special education students participating in general education settings can be seen at all school levels. At the kindergarten level, for example, the division has seen a 14% increase in kindergarteners served in the Resource Model from the 2023-24 school year to the 2025-26 year, reaching 66% this year.

The division has seen progress with students served in specialized programs who make enough progress to transition into the Resource Model. Last school year, 8.6% of students served in specialized programs moved to the Resource Model "because they made such significant progress and were ready for more inclusion," Holleb said. . . .