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RSU 22 budgeting for special education shifts: new IEP coordinator, fewer reserve dollars
Summary
The committee budgeted a new IEP coordinator and reallocated an existing special-education reading position to case-management duties, reduced requested educational technician hires to four and plans to apply $100,000 from the special-ed reserve to offset Article 2 costs.
RSU 22 administrators told the budget committee they would add an IEP coordinator position and reassign an existing Hamden Academy special-education reading teacher position to case management while funding four educational technicians to meet projected incoming needs for preschool- and kindergarten-age students identified through Child Development Services.
The committee heard that Child Development Services (CDS) had identified approximately 33 preschool-age children in the district who may require early special-education services when they enter school. Administration said those students are not yet enrolled in RSU 22 schools as public-school students but are being screened now; that advance notice guided the staffing decisions.
Budget changes and offsets: For Article 2 (special education), administration proposed eliminating the vacant Hamden Academy special-education reading teacher position and converting the assignment into an IEP coordinator/case-manager role. The district will budget four educational technicians (reduced from an earlier projection of 11) after reviewing student needs. To partially offset Article 2 costs, administration plans to use $100,000 from the district’s special-education reserve account; committee members were told contingency can cover emergency needs later if necessary.
Why it matters: Committee members pressed for assurance that services would not be lost. The superintendent and special-education director said services for students would remain in place and that current staff had absorbed unfilled positions this year. Committee members requested a more detailed line-item breakdown for special-education administration and staffing increases before final adoption.
Discussion vs. direction vs. decision: The group discussed projected incoming student numbers and the range of possible staffing needs, and administration directed the use of $100,000 from the special-education reserve to offset FY26 expenses. Committee members asked for and were promised more granular budget line detail prior to the full-board vote.
Ending: The committee scheduled follow-up work ahead of the May 14 presentation so members can review finer line-item detail on special-education administration, staffing and how contingency would be applied for emergency placements.
