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Portsmouth schools cite $1.3M rise in out‑of‑district special‑education costs; board asks for reinvestment of retirements
Summary
Superintendent Zach McLaughlin and the School Board proposed a higher FY26 budget than the city manager, citing a roughly $1.3 million increase in out‑of‑district special‑education tuition and a plan to repurpose retirement buyouts into counseling, paraeducator and intensive‑needs positions to reduce future placements.
The Portsmouth School Department told the City Council on Monday that a projected roughly $1.3 million increase in tuition and related costs for out‑of‑district special‑education placements is a key driver of the school budget request for fiscal 2026.
“These placements ... are directed by individualized education plans,” Superintendent Zach McLaughlin said, describing IEP teams and the federal process that governs placement decisions. McLaughlin told the council the school department’s FY26 request — higher than the city manager’s proposal — repurposes some positions after recent retirements toward counseling, behavior‑based programs and intensive special‑education staff meant to reduce future out‑of‑district costs.
Why it matters
School officials and board members said the rise in out‑of‑district costs is largely a function of intensifying student needs and mandated placements that the district has limited ability to oppose. The…
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