Vermont special-education leaders say funding shortfalls and capacity gaps drive rising costs, urge regional programs

Three veteran special-education administrators told a Feb. 27 joint hearing of the Vermont Senate Education, House Education and House Ways and Means committees that growing intensity of student needs and gaps in funding are driving extraordinary costs for local school districts.

Mary Lynn Dean, executive director of the Vermont Council of Special Education Administrators, said federal law requires services for eligible students: "The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act guarantees students between the ages of 3 and 21 . . . are entitled to a free appropriate public education." She and other witnesses urged lawmakers to account for legal entitlements when considering state budget choices.

Why it matters: Special-education costs feed into the state's Education Fund, which is tied to property-tax choices, and rising out-of-district tuition, transport and intensive-service costs fall back on local districts and the state. Legislative members at the hearing pressed witnesses for practical reforms and for steps the Agency of Education could take to expand in-state capacity.

Panelists described three main cost drivers: an increase in the intensity of needs (more students requiring high-level behavioral or clinical support), high tuition and transportation for out-of-district placements, and staffing shortages across both general and…