Case Study
Preston Joint School District Sustains High Performance with eLuma
Special education proficiency reached 50%, 2.5 times the state’s 20% benchmark
Student progress held steady when four of nine special education teachers retired
Zero parent concerns about virtual therapy this year, after early skepticism at launch
2,400 students across five Title I schools in eight rural Idaho communities
Table of Contents
Preston Joint School District sits in one of Idaho’s most rural regions, serving students from eight small towns across two counties. Every school in the district qualifies for Title I.
Dr. Brady Garner serves as Assistant Superintendent and Director of Special Education, overseeing federal programs, Title IX, district athletics, and several other operational areas.
The district provides speech-language teletherapy through eLuma after facing hiring shortages, limited funding, and strict state requirements for certified Speech-Language Pathologists (SLP).
Meet Preston Joint School District
Preston Joint School District operates in a community so rural that its local McDonald’s once closed because the town could not support its business. Despite these constraints, the district continues to create strong outcomes for students.
Dr. Garner attributes this to a single guiding belief:
“I put students first. That should be the mindset of every educator.”
When local SLPs became difficult to hire, Preston partnered with eLuma to maintain high-quality services while supporting staff, students, and families during a major transition.
The Challenge
Preston’s challenges are severe and structural. The high school is approaching its hundredth year and still lacks heat and air conditioning. Idaho requires a two-thirds supermajority to pass school bonds, which is an almost impossible threshold for a low-income rural community. The median household income in the area is approximately $58,000.
This limits the local tax base and makes it hard to update aging facilities or compete with nearby Utah, where educators can earn $ 20,000 more by driving only 20 to 25 minutes. Because Idaho requires fully certified SLPs rather than SLPAs, the hiring pool is even smaller.
Service continuity became a genuine concern after a year, when four of nine special education teachers retired. Dr. Garner needed a way to protect student progress without lowering standards or increasing stress on his new staff.
The Solution
Preston evaluated several teletherapy providers and chose eLuma for three primary reasons: Affordability, service quality, and reliable customer support. Flexible scheduling at the secondary level also removed pressure from teachers and administrators.
Dr. Garner described early concerns about moving speech therapy online, noting that he initially wondered how effective virtual therapy could be. After implementation, those concerns disappeared.
“We have not noticed a difference from in-person to online. We are seeing the same amount of progress.”
Impact on Students and Families
Student progress stayed consistent after shifting from in-person services to eLuma’s online SLPs. Students continued to meet goals and move toward the exit criteria, even with significant staff turnover.
Parent confidence also improved. During the first year, many families reached out with concerns about virtual services. This year, Dr. Garner reported that he has not received a single phone call. Families who were once hesitant now want to continue with the current model.
One of the clearest indicators of success came from the state’s special education performance measures. The state benchmark was 20 percent. Preston’s results reached roughly 50 percent. This means the district performed about two and a half times higher than the state’s expectation, even with nearly half the special education teaching staff newly hired.
A Partnership Built on Responsiveness
Dr. Garner consistently emphasized the importance of communication. Whenever he raised a concern, he received immediate support. This responsiveness helped stabilize services during a year when four new teachers joined the department and were still learning the district’s systems and expectations.
“eLuma remedied the situation right away. I appreciate the professional aspect of that.”
Looking Ahead
Dr. Garner recently completed his doctorate in special education with a focus on inclusion. Much of his current work focuses on professional development, communication with families, and ensuring students with disabilities are fully included in general education settings.
His team now participates in monthly professional development sessions devoted to strengthening instruction and supporting new teachers. He has also expanded district-wide communication efforts to reach families who are already overwhelmed by digital information.
Even with aging facilities, economic barriers, and a challenging hiring landscape, Preston Joint School District continues to outperform expectations. Dr. Garner credits this to a strong team, district-wide commitment to putting students first, and partnerships that help fill critical gaps without compromising quality.
“We are a small community, but our students are achieving at high levels. eLuma has helped us keep our services strong, our staff supported, and our students first.”