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District explores bringing special-education placements back in-house to reduce private-placement costs
Summary
Administrators outlined a plan to create more in-district special-education capacity (PALS/PATH and potential EDP application) to reduce expensive private placements that cost the district about $80,000 per student on average.
Administrators told the board they are pursuing expanded in-district special-education capacity so fewer students must be placed in private programs. The district currently places roughly 30 students in private placements with an average annual cost cited at about $80,000 per student, producing a multi-million-dollar outlay administrators said they would like to reduce by bringing appropriate students back into district-run programs.
District staff explained two program tracks discussed at the work study. PALS and PATH classroom models each require two teachers under state staffing guidelines; consolidating those programs on a single campus could improve efficiency by enabling shared paraprofessional and support staffing. Administrators said some students now placed out of district could be served in a consolidated campus model in the near term, while higher-intensity EDP (extreme emotional disturbance) placements would require an Arizona application and additional time for full implementation.
Officials said bringing students back would produce savings compared with contracted placements, but stressed upfront costs for staffing, certification and, where required, facility modifications. Administrators told trustees there are vacant budgeted positions that could be repurposed to reduce the front-loaded expense and that the district is evaluating higher-stipend pay or other incentives to recruit hard-to-fill special-education teachers rather than paying contractor rates.
Board members asked for more specificity on timelines, state approval steps for an EDP program and whether expected savings account for the full cost of serving students in-house. Administrators said some private placements tied to litigation or very specialized medical needs may remain outplaced; the goal is to return students whose needs can be met in district and reduce the $2 million-plus annual outlay the district currently pays for private placements.
Ending: The administration asked the board to approve funding posture and timeline details in upcoming materials so that phased returns of students can be evaluated alongside the larger budget and facility decisions.
