Waunakee proposes in‑district alternative education pilot and in‑house transport to curb costly outside placements

District staff told the budget committee on Jan. 9 they are proposing a one‑year pilot to serve certain K–8 students in a Waunakee‑based alternative education program instead of placing them in costly out‑of‑district placements.

“Tiffany” (special education coordinator) told the committee that out‑of‑district placements have become more frequent and more expensive; “those placements are super expensive ranging anywhere from $50,000 to a $150,000 per year per student,” she said, and an example placement had previously cost the district about $1,000 per day.

The pilot: staff described a start‑up plan to serve 3–5 students in fall with one teacher and two paraprofessionals, operating from a leased office‑style space across the parking lot from the district wellness clinic. Summers and staff said the space has a separate entrance, full‑time building monitoring, restroom and kitchen access and security cameras; staff called it a convenient, close option to district buildings.

Staff described the program as a way to reduce the district’s reliance on outside placements that require lengthy contracts and often lock the district into fixed, high costs. Tiffany said using an in‑district program would make it easier to flex students in and out of services and to coordinate interventions with district staff.

Funding and reimbursement

Staff proposed funding the pilot through a mix of state and federal special‑education funding mechanisms already used by the district. Tiffany and Ali Newton said the district would pursue special‑education high‑cost categorical aid (the district has historically been a high claimant) and use federal flow‑through funds where appropriate; Newton said any residual costs could be covered with available district funds if necessary. Summers linked the proposal to the state budget’s advertised increases in high‑cost aid reimbursement and said the district is positioned to claim those funds.

Transportation plan

The budget draft includes measures to expand district‑operated transportation for students covered by McKinney‑Vento and other unique needs. District staff said they had been paying private providers more than $200 per day for some rides and that leasing two district vehicles and assigning district drivers would reduce costs and provide consistent drivers and vehicles for students. The proposed transportation change is included in the 2025–26 draft with $100,000 added to the transportation budget to support leased vehicles and staff.

Operational details and risks

Staff said the pilot is intended as a Year‑1 trial. If the board approves the draft next week and hires the staff, Tiffany said she would proceed with hiring and work with the property owner to finalize a lease, Internet access and other logistics to be ready for the first day of school. Staff acknowledged the pilot would not serve every student (they noted at least one student discussed would not be a fit) and said the district would continue to use outside placements when necessary.

Safety and oversight

Committee members asked about safety and building access; staff described a northern entrance that leads to the suite, a full‑time attendant at the building entrance and full camera coverage. Staff also described plans for adult supervision and for students to access regular‑education spaces when appropriate.

Next steps

The committee reviewed the third draft and accepted the proposal to forward the budget to the board; the pilot and transportation changes would move forward only with subsequent board approval and the district’s hiring and lease steps.

Ending

If approved by the board, staff said they would begin hiring, finalize the lease and prepare the site before the start of the school year; if the pilot proves successful staff said they may evaluate expanding or accepting students from other districts in later years.