Ithaca City School District provides special education services to 885 school-age students with disabilities in a variety of in-district and off-campus placements. Of these students, 69% are white, 22% are African-American, 4% are Hispanic or Latino, 4% are Asian and 1% is American Indian. There are 13 disability categories in NY State. In ICSD, the majority of special education students are classified with a Learning Disability (48%), followed by Speech or Language Impairment (14%), Emotional Disturbance (12%) and Other Health Impairment (11%). 5% of students are classified with Autism.
Special education faculty and staff include Administrators, Committee on Special Education (CSE) Chairpersons, Special Education Teachers, Related Service Providers (Psychologists, Social Workers, Occupational Therapists, Speech-Language Providers) and aides. Currently, there is a Director of Special Education, an Assistant Director of Special Education, a District CSE Chairperson, three Elementary CSE Chairs, six Secondary CSE Chairs, a Special Education Department Chair at Ithaca High School, and six district special education office staff. ICSD has 63 Special Education teachers who serve special education students in a variety of settings across eight elementary buildings, two middle schools, one high school and one alternative middle/high school. There are 13 school psychologists, 15 school social workers, 8 occupational therapists, 18 speech-language providers, and 100 paraprofessionals who work as 1:1 or program aides for students with disabilities, in accordance with their Individualized Education Program (IEP).