RSU 4 considers joining Maine DOE cohort to bring special‑education services to 4‑year‑olds

At its organizational meeting, the RSU 04 school board heard a presentation on plans to join cohort 2 of the Maine Department of Education's program to shift responsibility for special‑education services for 4‑year‑olds from Child Development Services (CDS) to the district.

The proposal, presented by Justin Kelleher, director of special services, explained that state statute passed in 2024 requires districts to assume special‑education services for all 3‑ and 4‑year‑olds by the 2027—28 school year, and that joining cohort 2 would allow RSU 04 to begin with 4‑year‑olds in 2025—26 and phase in 3‑year‑olds in 2026—27.

Kelleher gave a snapshot of current need in the district: 16 identified 4‑year‑olds in the RSU 04 catchment, plus two students in referral/child‑find. Of those 16, seven are identified with speech needs, five with autism, three with another health impairment (often ADHD), and one who is deaf or hard of hearing. He said programming options include using existing pre‑K…