The Lawrence Public Schools committee voted May 14 to approve amendments to the CREST collaborative articles of agreement, following a staff member’s overview of the regional special‑education collaborative and its role in serving students with specialized needs.

A district staff speaker described CREST (a regional educational collaborative) as a consortium that serves roughly 18 communities and provides specialized programs for students who cannot be served in their home district. The staff speaker said Lawrence currently has the largest number of CREST placements among member communities — about 71 students — and that CREST pools resources to operate specialized services in a new building near the Greater Lawrence Technical School.

Why it matters: the collaborative provides tuitioned placements and transportation for students with intensive special‑education needs. Approval of the articles of agreement affirms Lawrence’s continued participation and authorizes the superintendent or a designee to represent the district on CREST’s governance board.

Action and vote
A motion was made at the meeting requesting that the LAE approve the amendments to CREST’s articles of agreement as approved by the CREST board of directors on March 12 and March 26, 2025. The motion was seconded and approved by roll call; the transcript records the motion as passing.

Financial and procedural notes
Board members asked about tuition and transportation costs for collaborative placements; staff said per‑student costs vary depending on services, tuition and transportation and may range from roughly $55,000 to $85,000 per placement depending on circuit‑breaker reimbursement and service needs. Staff also noted that each member community annually affirms CREST governance and typically sends the superintendent or an appointed school committee member to represent the district on the collaborative board.

No amendments to the district’s special‑education policies or classroom placements were adopted at the meeting; the vote affirmed participation in the collaborative under the amended agreement.