Parents:

Nearly a dozen Newport-Mesa parents on Tuesday complained to school board members that the district’s special education administrators have habitually ignored the needs of their children and are picking less expensive programs for their kids just to save money.

Caran Cope-Fahy, who has two boys with varying degrees of autism, told board members at their meeting that teachers left her out of the process when they were determining an educational plan for the children.

“I thought a parent was supposed to be a part of the team. If I was a part of the team, I was sitting on the bench,” she said. “I don’t think the district cares about the welfare of me or my kids.”

An individualized curriculum is created for each special education student after district officials assess them with input from parents. The district pays for the plan, and some are more expensive than others.

“I’m not going to mince words; we’ve got improving to do,” Supt. Jeffrey Hubbard said. “No child on my watch will be treated as a financial liability.”