Special Education parents received official endorsement from the all-Island school committee at last Thursday's meeting, opening the door for the group to take a more active role in school matters.

On Thursday evening, over 20 parents of children with special needs gathered at the YMCA to learn about the Island Parents Advisory Council, the bylaws that govern its functioning and a plan to get it back on its feet.

An increase in special needs students is driving Vineyard schools superintendent Dr. James H. Weiss to seek hundreds of thousands of dollars for a new combined elementary program targeting children with autism or severe communication disorders.