A spokesperson for the High Road Schools told CT Mirror that most of the school’s students come in mid-year with intensive needs and high levels of absenteeism. In September 2024, the Office of the Child Advocate and Disability Rights CT filed a complaint with the U.S. Office of Special Education Programs claiming that the state Department of Education had failed to properly monitor what was happening in private special education schools. In July, the state announced the hiring of an outside firm to review the agency’s system around special education and how it responds to complaints. Goduti said that while Adelbrook wasn’t facing staffing challenges, she was well aware of the shortage of special education teachers. “We need to figure out how to get more incredibly talented young people to want to go into special education as a career.