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Resident urges statewide overhaul of special education funding, opposes town building purchase
Summary
At public comment Joan Coe urged state-level reform and spending caps on special education, criticized a proposed town purchase of a commercial building for school use, and called for stricter oversight of vendors and permit limits.
Joan Coe of 26 Whitcomb Drive told the Board of Selectmen during public comment that special education spending has “exploded” and urged a state-led model to control costs.
“Special education spending has exploded over the years with no stops in place for controlled spending,” Coe said, arguing that the state should develop a funding model, cap expenditures and require service providers to report quarterly on performance. She suggested that “those who do not meet the requirements will not receive permits and will not be allowed to supply services.”
Coe also criticized a board of education proposal to purchase a commercial building on 2 Farms Village Road, calling a project “not to exceed 1,400,000.0” budget figure “budgetary chicanery with fuzzy math.” She said repurposing a long-vacant building would carry additional security, elevator, heating and furnishing costs and that “there is no rush to purchase the building.”
Coe urged a moratorium on spending and said the town should not increase the 2025 budget, adding that the town faces a projected grand list shortfall she placed at $800,000.
Why it matters: Coe’s remarks reflect a taxpayer perspective pressing the board to consider statewide policy solutions for special education funding and to re-evaluate capital spending plans tied to the proposed purchase of a commercial building for school use.
