OSCEOLA COUNTY, Fla. – Osceola County School District officials say the district is only two points away from earning an A grade, but leaders acknowledge challenges remain — including concerns from some parents about the recent integration of the Exceptional Student Education (ESE) program into general classrooms.
The district, which serves more than 80,000 students across 58 schools, held its 2025 State of Education event Wednesday at the Osceola Heritage Park Events Center in Kissimmee to review accomplishments and solicit community feedback. About 400 business and community leaders attended as Superintendent Dr. Mark Shanoff outlined the district’s five Strategic Plan focus areas: engagement, alignment, community, achievement and culture.
“We’re actually serving students in the environment in which they are supposed to be served. We weren’t before,” Dr. Shanoff said, explaining the district’s move to more inclusive placements.
He also pointed to pointed out things that will help them achieve an A rating.
“Every school now has a vision board, they know exactly where they need to be by the end of the year,” Dr. Shanoff said.
Some parents, however, say the transition has highlighted gaps in teacher training and student support. Jacqueline Cruz, whose son — diagnosed with ADHD at age 3 and autism spectrum disorder at age 5 — is in second grade and has attended an Osceola County school for five years. She expressed concern about changes she has observed since the ESE Inclusion program was expanded.
“He has ADHD, diagnosed at three, at five he was diagnosed with ASD autism. He is on the higher end of the spectrum,” Cruz said. “The students need more help and the teachers need more help.”
She emphasized that adequate teacher training is essential.
“If the teachers are getting help then the students are getting help,” she said.
District officials said they are aware of parental concerns and are responding, including Cruz’s. When Cruz’s concerns were raised at the event, administrators said those issues are already being addressed.
“We’ve been extremely responsive to all the concerns that have come in. I don’t think that there is a concern that hasn’t been conveyed to the district that we haven’t personally addressed,” Dr. Shanoff said.