Locust Valley staff say special-education placements drive $342,000 BOCES-related increase; net district impact $93,630

District staff told the Board of Education that an increase in the district's OC/BOCES bill this year is primarily tied to higher-cost special-education placements and not a general across-the-board spending surge. At the meeting, staff said the OC/BOCES package shows a year-over-year difference of $93,630, driven by an estimated $342,000 increase for mandated special-education placements and offset by $248,000 in reductions across other services.

The figures were presented by a district staff member who described the budget review as a “rigorous six-week review process” in which administrators examined every line of the letter of intent. The staff member said the $342,000 increase is “an estimate” tied to higher-cost special-education placements. They also…