RSU 10 officials briefed on Maine plan to shift preschool disability services to local districts

Superintendent Deb told the Western Foothills Regional School Unit 10 board that the Maine Department of Education intends to transfer responsibility for delivering services to 3- to 5-year-old children with disabilities from Child Development Services to the school district, with districts choosing a cohort to begin implementation and a decision needed this winter if RSU 10 is to start in the 2026–27 (third) cohort.

The change will make school districts responsible for child find, evaluations, placements and contracting or providing therapies such as speech, occupational and physical therapy for children ages 3–5; Deb said the birth-to-3 services will remain with Child Development Services (CDS). “By fiscal year 28, the birth to 3 year will still be CDS,” Deb said. “And then 3 to 5 year olds, the district where they live finds and identifies the disabilities.”

Board members said the shift matters because it alters who hires, where services are delivered, and how transportation and space are arranged. Under the plan described at the meeting, the state will fund these services up front and separately from the regular district budget; Deb said the funding is “100% paid for by MDOE” and will be provided quarterly rather than reimbursed after spending. That, she said, reduces local fiscal risk but increases the district’s responsibility to track costs and to staff or contract for evaluations and therapy.

Deb outlined logistical needs the board must resolve before committing to a cohort: identify a district “transition lead,” involve the superintendent, special education director, business manager and transportation director in planning, and assess space for preschool services. “This is going to be really hard for who we have now to absorb,” Deb said, citing existing difficulty filling current openings for special-education staff and bus drivers.

Board members pressed specifics. Board member Kristen asked whether CDS regions will be reorganized; Deb said CDS cohorts are being aligned to superintendent regions and that neighboring districts and regional offices (Region 9 and others mentioned at the meeting) will affect where services are centered. Board member Peter suggested contacting the transition lead in District 56, which is already starting implementation, to learn from that district’s experience.

Deb and other speakers described several operational options the district might use: provide services directly at Mountain Valley Community School, upgrade space at Hartford Sumner Elementary School, contract with private therapy providers near families, or create a specialized in-district preschool program. She also noted that some CDS staff are not enrolled in Maine State Retirement, which may complicate hiring if the district seeks to recruit CDS employees into district positions: “Those folks that work for CDS are not on Maine State Retirement,” she said.

No formal board action was taken; members asked staff to gather more information for a cohort decision this winter and to explore shared staffing options with neighboring districts. The board discussed whether RSU 10 would act alone or contract with nearby districts to host a state-funded transition lead, an option Deb said other districts such as York and Kittery have used.

What happened next: board members asked administration to compile answers about staffing needs, transportation implications and the space modifications that would be required at Hartford Sumner and Mountain Valley; they did not vote to join a cohort at the meeting.