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Subcommittee advances FY2026 tuition rates for public‑day and alternative programs to full committee
Summary
The Budget and Finance Subcommittee on June 16 recommended the full school committee approve FY 2026 tuition rates for the district's public‑day and alternative school programs; staff explained calculations and discussed entry requirements for alternative programs.
The Springfield Public Schools Budget and Finance Subcommittee on June 16 voted to recommend that the full school committee approve the FY 2026 tuition rates for the district's public‑day and alternative school programs.
Pat Roach, identified in the meeting as the district chief responsible for the calculations, told the subcommittee the tuition rates reflect the actual per‑pupil cost of each program — covering building, teachers, staff and support services — and that state law limits the district to charging the rates set by the school committee. "By law, we're only allowed to charge what the school committee sets for rates," Roach said.
Roach explained the rates are billed to other districts when Springfield enrolls students placed by other agencies (for example, DCF or placements from neighboring districts). Subcommittee members asked whether admission to alternative programs requires an Individualized Education Program (IEP) or Section 504 plan. Roach said it depends on the program: some public‑day programs require IEPs for exceptional learners, while other alternative programs (Springfield Middle and Springfield High alternative programs) have historically enrolled students through the district's student‑of‑concern protocol rather than open selection.
Roach said the head of relevant teams (Rhonda Jacobs and her team) has requested a closer review of the placement process to determine whether students might be allowed to select alternative programs in specific cases based on needs and program formats. The subcommittee was told that programs such as Gateway and Aspire are categorized as alternative programs; Aspire requires a separate selection process through the program, while Gateway programs have admissions processes with criteria but are open to Springfield Public Schools students.
A subcommittee motion to recommend the FY 2026 tuition rates to the full school committee passed on a roll call that recorded Miss Gresham and Miss Bruno Naylor voting in favor and Miss Hurst absent. The recommendation now goes to the full committee for final action.
