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New Hanover County Schools details rising costs of special education services
Summary
District officials told the Finance, Capital and Bond Committee that a growing number of students with intensive special education needs is driving contracts and personnel costs; federal IDEA funding covers far less than required.
Julie Varnum, assistant superintendent for student support at New Hanover County Schools, and Jahaina Souza, the district’s Exceptional Children (EC) director, told the Finance, Capital and Bond Committee that the district is serving a large and growing population of students who require intensive, high-cost special education services.
Varnum said the district operates 108 “maximum service” classrooms—self-contained settings where students receive most instruction from special education staff—and that many students in those classrooms require related therapies and specialized equipment. “This school year, we have 15 students across the district that require 1 on 1 nursing services,” Varnum said, adding that those registered…
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