Konawa Public Schools is gearing up for a fight it says could decide whether dozens of its most vulnerable students keep their counseling services. A recent state review has already trimmed the rural district's special education counseling caseload, and officials warn a tougher round of scrutiny could force them to scale back even more. The dispute centers on a state "selective review" of special education records and eligibility, and Konawa plans to take its concerns straight to the Oklahoma State Board of Education in Oklahoma City on Thursday, Feb. 26, 2026.
Details from the district and local reporting
According to reporting by KOCO, Konawa launched its counseling program in the 2024–25 school year. After the state review, the district says it was required to cut the number of students receiving counseling from 77 down to 51. Misty Hudnall, the district's co-director of social services, told KOCO she now has to "review 51 files and make changes, corrections and more testing" to prove that students still qualify for services. Superintendent Karis Reavis told the station the district is trying to stay within the rules without stripping away support students and teachers have come to rely on.
State board hearing and documents
Konawa leaders say they intend to raise the issue at the State Board's regular meeting, set for 9:30 a.m. on Feb. 26 at the Oliver Hodge Education Building in Oklahoma City. The meeting agenda and district-specific handouts are included in the Oklahoma State Department of Education's published packet, where Konawa appears in the district tables. The full materials are available in the Oklahoma State Department of Education packet for the Feb. 26 meeting.
Konawa officials warn of lost supports
District staff say the counseling program spans multiple disability categories, including autism, intellectual disabilities and specific learning disabilities, and that losing services would ripple through classrooms that depend on those supports. Hudnall did not sugarcoat her concern, telling KOCO, "The only way I feel like we're going to be compliant is if we dismiss all of our counseling students," a scenario she and other leaders say they are working to avoid. District officials say they are combing through records, testing data and paperwork to fix issues flagged by the state and keep as many eligible students in counseling as possible while still satisfying the review.
How this fits a statewide picture
Advocates and school leaders say what is playing out in Konawa is part of a larger squeeze on school-based mental health and counseling across Oklahoma, particularly in smaller districts. As funding for Oklahoma's Counselor Corps and other one-time grants has wound down, many rural schools have struggled to hold on to counselors and related services. Reporting by Oklahoma Watch has tracked how the end of those grants, along with shrinking federal supports, has already led some districts to cut staff and reduce counseling options.
Legal and procedural angle
Under state education rules, the Oklahoma State Department of Education has broad authority to monitor how districts follow federal special education law. The department's General Supervision System explains how "selective reviews" are used to investigate possible noncompliance, using tools such as complaint logs, student records and fiscal data. The manual notes that those reviews can lead to corrective actions or sanctions if problems are found. Federal IDEA regulations also require states to keep tabs on local education agencies and fix noncompliance when it appears. More details are available from the Oklahoma State Department of Education and in federal rules at the Electronic Code of Federal Regulations under 34 CFR Part 300.
What to watch next
Konawa officials say they will use the Feb. 26 State Board meeting to lay out their concerns and ask for guidance on how to keep eligible students in counseling while aligning with state requirements. The outcome could signal how aggressively Oklahoma will enforce special education documentation rules at a time when many districts are already stretched thin. We will track any actions or statements from the State Board and the Oklahoma State Department of Education after the meeting and update coverage as new documents and decisions become public.
