- July 8, 2026
Dianne Santamaria had attended meetings of Flagler Schools’ Exceptional Student Education Parent Advisory Council (EPAC) throughout this past school year.
She was not looking to succeed Stephen Furnari as EPAC’s chairperson. But when she heard that there was a risk of the council dissolving, she felt that she had no choice.
“I just sat down with them, understood what they had been working on, why they were working on it, the mission, the things that we could do going forward, and it was just a no-brainer,” Santamaria said.
She became EPAC’s second chairperson just over a month ago. Furnari co-founded EPAC in 2018 and has been the group’s chair ever since.
According to Flagler Schools’ website, “EPAC was created to build a collaborative bridge between the school district and parents of students with disabilities to promote inclusive education.”
Furnari wrote in an email to the Observer that with his daughter nearing high school graduation, he was stepping down to focus his “volunteer efforts on post-high school and adult services issues for individuals with disabilities.”
Santamaria and her husband, Kyle Seaton, have two young sons. Her oldest, Oliver, 7, is an ESE student at Old Kings Elementary School. They moved to Palm Coast from Miami two years ago. Around that time, Santamaria left a high-demanding career in banking to dedicate more time to her children and to learn more and advocate for students with special needs.
“My husband was very supportive,” she said. “He’s a great father, a great partner, and so we made it work.”
Two issues that she believes are priorities are making school transportation more inclusive for ESE students and improving communication.
“Our nonverbal kids can't really tell us what happened during the day, and sometimes there are changes within the classroom, or something happened and we don't know, so we need better communication,” Santamaria said. “We don't want to put more work on the teachers. They already have a lot of work, and they already do as best as they can, but let's find a way where we can help them streamline that communication back to parents.”
Sometimes staff changes, a nurse might be replaced. These are important events for ESE parents whose child might need help with feeding or has a medical condition, she said.
“If we could receive a communication, whether it be monthly, where there's an updated team roster, then that would at least give the parent a communication on who is seeing their child, and a lot of times that doesn't happen," she said. “So, that's one area of communication, but there's so many aspects of communication that can be improved. I think the district has done a great job in using ParentSquare. I use the app all the time. But what can we do to continue to do better?”
One positive program that the district and EPAC helped create, Santamaria said, was “Friends for all Abilities” in the schools which promotes inclusive programs between students in general education and students in exceptional education.
“It’s sort of like a club, so the students who opt in can create their own experience, and I think it’s just great because it benefits the whole community,” Santamaria said. “It makes us all kinder, more understanding of each other.”
But what she would like to see is more participation in EPAC among ESE families.
At one point, I felt very isolated in this world. I didn't really know how to navigate it. And so, that’s how I found EPAC, because I was looking for community.
— DIANNE SANTAMARIA
“At one point, I felt very isolated in this world,” she said. “I didn't really know how to navigate it. And so, that’s how I found EPAC, because I was looking for community. I was looking for that group of parents, and I have a feeling there are more parents like me that are looking, and maybe just haven't found the right committee or the right group that's willing to take the time to hear their experience and hear their ideas.”
During the rest of the summer, Santamaria plans to meet with district administrators, the School Board and anyone who wants to collaborate.
“I’ve met with ESE staffing specialists from different schools,” she said. “I’ve met with extended school year coordinators. I've been very busy. I'm trying to keep very busy, trying to meet whoever wants to meet me, whoever wants to give me ideas, and whoever wants to listen.”
