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Board reviews large out-of-district special-education contracts and related budget questions
Summary
Staff presented multiple three-year agreements and an amendment for out-of-district special-education placements covering hundreds of students and multimillion-dollar totals; presenters said contracts are billed for services rendered and transportation is charged separately.
Waterbury Public Schools staff asked the Board of Education on May 1 to approve a series of out-of-district special-education agreements and an amendment to an existing placement, covering students currently placed outside the district and totaling several million dollars over three-year terms.
Special education presenters said the contracts will run from July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2028, and are paid from the district’s general fund. Officials emphasized the district already has students in most listed placements and that the agreements are continuations or extensions rather than new, unfilled contracts.
Details presented in the meeting record include:
- An amendment to a contract with Ben Bronze Academy adding $392,817.22 for the current calendar year; the presenter said the increase was to honor an Individualized Education Program for a student who moved into Waterbury and whose out-of-state IEP required continuation of the prior placement.
- A three-year agreement with the American School for the Deaf Institute of Deaf Education and Culture Inc., for 10 students at a total of $2,235,475 (07/01/2025–06/30/2028), paid from general funds.
- A three-year agreement with Area Cooperative Educational Services (ACES) covering six sites and 21 students at $6,300,272 total for the term; presenters identified this as the district’s largest single contract among the items presented.
- A three-year agreement with Aspire Living and Learning Inc. for 10 students at $3,866,900 for the term.
- Additional three-year agreements cited included contracts with Ben Haven Inc., Grama Stones Behavioral Services ($547,097), Saint Vincent’s Special Needs Inc. ($1,545,270), and Waterford Country School Inc. ($337,827). Presenters said transportation is an additional cost that is not included in the placement figures that were presented.
Special-education staff described an out-of-district monitoring process that includes monthly site visits, attendance checks, review of teacher certification, observation of student engagement and documentation of curriculum and adult support; the visits and follow-up items are maintained in a shared Google Sheet so multiple district staff can track outcomes and actions.
Commissioners raised budget and procurement concerns during discussion. Commissioner Van Stone and others asked how the district pays for placements when students move into Waterbury from other states; staff said out-of-state placements are the district’s responsibility and the district must adopt or create an IEP that meets the student’s needs. Commissioners also clarified that invoices are paid for services rendered and purchase orders are adjusted as needed, and that contracts include termination clauses tied to funding availability.
The meeting transcript shows the special-education department requested approval for these agreements but the provided excerpt does not include completed roll-call votes on each contract item. Presenters noted that many of the contracts are renewals of existing placements with current students on site.
