Watertown board tables UPK/“44‑10” allocation decision after sharp public criticism from community providers

The Watertown City School District Board of Education on Tuesday tabled an agenda item about prekindergarten and 44‑10 special‑education classroom allocations after multiple public commenters said recent district decisions removed classrooms from longtime community partners and will reduce local child‑care capacity.

Those who spoke said the changes will affect local businesses, licensed childcare capacity and continuity for families. “The decisions you are making inside a vacuum…could cost the community my business,” said a public commenter who identified themselves as a community‑based organization representative. The commenter said their program lost district classrooms this year and accused district administration of favoring a newer provider, Little Luke’s.

Parents and partners described weeks of delayed communications and an RFP process that was postponed twice. “We were in a meeting for two and a half hours only to listen to horrific details of what had transpired with the UPK and 44‑10 programs,” a former board member who addressed the board said, listing concerns including alleged missing IEPs, declassification of children entering kindergarten and long‑unaddressed low funding for community providers.

Anthony Doldo, who said he serves on the CAPC board, told the board he had spoken with State Education staff and that the state “highly recommended” offering open slots to other districts when positions remain open; Doldo said the state described that practice as recommended rather than required. He urged the board to restore prior arrangements and to consider additional funding or county partnership, saying local taxpayers and Jefferson County have a stake in the programs.

Speakers gave several quantitative claims during public comment: a speaker said the district put a $1,200,000 legacy cost in the budget to add two UPK/44‑10 classrooms; the same commenter said community providers had requested approximately a 15% increase, which she calculated as $534,000. Those numbers were presented as part of public comments; the board did not supply a staff‑verified figure during the meeting.

Board members moved to table the agenda item (identified in the public packet as item N) and indicated they will hold a special meeting to address it before the next regular session. A board member said a special meeting would be scheduled between now and the August meeting to resume discussion.

Background: Commenters named several community organizations that they said lost district classrooms, including CAPC, Treehouse, ARC and New Day, and complained that a newer provider, Little Luke’s, retained and gained classrooms. Speakers also raised programmatic concerns about “least restrictive environment” practices tied to 44‑10 placements, and said opening additional 44‑10 seats without bolstering general‑education supports could push children with IEPs into other settings.

The board did not take a final vote on the allocation policy or on any funding reallocation at the meeting; the item was formally tabled and the board indicated it will convene further to address the complaints and next steps.