Beginning in the 2023-24 school year, the District’s Paraeducator support for students receiving special education services has been reconfigured to ensure we have highly trained staff and better support for our students. Some of the key changes to our Paraeducator organization are outlined below:

• Special Education Paraeducators (often referred to as Aides or 1:1’s) have had their hours expanded to 7 hours each day. This change will allow for students to be better supported from the moment they arrive on campus in the morning until they head home in the afternoon. 
•  Increased hours will ensure we have a highly trained and qualified staff, as Paraeducators will have weekly training opportunities during late-start and early-release days. 
•  CNUSD has established a “base staffing level” of Paraeducator support for our Special Education classrooms, with increased levels of support on an as-needed basis (as determined by our Special Education Department in conjunction with school site administrators). 
•  What does base staffing mean? A specific number of permanent staff will be assigned to supporting students within a particular classroom or program.
•  Our new base staffing levels have increased the number of Paraeducators supporting our SPED students district-wide.
• Paraeducator staffing was increased within special education programs, such as Special day classes at the elementary sites, Lifeskills classes, PALS classes, Intensive Intervention (II) classes, and Adult Transition at our high schools.
•  It is our hope that this new configuration of Paraeducator support will allow CNUSD to better provide permanent staffing at school sites, rather than relying on substitutes or contracted staff.