(COLORADO SPRINGS) — According to several complaints submitted to the Colorado Department of Education (CDE), Academy School District 20 failed to meet state standards for its special education programs and will need to take corrective actions.

According to the CDE, the investigations stemmed from four parent complaints in 2023. The CDE said so far in 2023, there are three additional parent complaints against D20, and those decisions by the CDE are pending.

The complaints accused the district of not providing or following Individualized Education Plans, or IEDs. The state clarified that this appears to be due to the district’s struggles with staffing, rather than any district-wide policy.

D20 issued a statement in response to the CDE’s decisions, which you can read in its entirety below:

Academy District 20 endeavors to meet its Free and Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) obligations, meaning we strive to offer consistent and appropriate education for students regardless of disability. D20 is working in partnership with the Colorado Department of Education to fully resolve any findings through a Corrective Action Plan (CAP). Although we will not expressly comment on individual claims associated with a complaint, D20 is committed to working with all of our families to ensure the success of each and every student. Academy District 20 continues to closely monitor our learning environments and provide support for all classrooms on a regular and appropriate basis.

Academy School District 20