Lewiston committee hears special education budget, CLIMB expansion and MaineCare billing gains

Lewiston — At a Lewiston School Committee meeting Wednesday, March 12, 2025, Special Education Director Kirsten Crafts presented the district’s special education budget and updates on CLIMB, a new in-district program for students with complex needs, saying the program has reduced outplacement costs while creating new staffing and facilities needs.

Crafts told the committee that CLIMB currently serves 23 students and that the program’s team includes five teachers, 24 behavioral health professionals (BHPs), a billing specialist, front-office support and a related-services team. CLIMB students access shared spaces at McMahon Elementary School — including gym, library and unified-arts classes — and district staff said the program has allowed some students to return from more expensive outplacement programs.

The presentation sought to link program expansion, staffing and billing. Crafts and her staff described program start-up costs and projected revenue: they estimated roughly $2.6 million in projected savings tied to students staying in-district (a projection for Aug. 2024–July 2025) and reported staff-hiring costs in the multi‑million‑dollar range. District staff said CLIMB could generate roughly $1.3 million in MaineCare reimbursements and that related FLS/RISE programs could yield about $841,000 at current…