The purpose of this paper is to analyse the early stages of an urban district's special education reform effort in which the entire district moved from a programme model to an integrated services delivery approach. We studied teacher and building administrator's responses garnered through focus group, individual interviews and observations at five of the district's schools. This research revealed some of the complexities of implementing a whole district reform. While the district made a strong call for equity across the district, this was not garnered as a collective value among teachers and building administrators. As a result, the administration was forced to increase centralisation and tighten control to maintain this focus and achieve their desired outcomes. Resistance ensued and the reform was compromised.