New Haven officials, teachers and parents flag staffing and funding shortfalls in special education

New Haven — New Haven Public Schools officials told the Board of Alders’ education committee on Jan. 22 that the district is facing rising special-education needs and heavy costs for out-of-district placements while teachers, psychologists and parents urged more staffing, clearer implementation of Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) and state funding changes.

At a workshop in the Board of Alders Chamber, Tiffany Jackson, executive director of student services for New Haven Public Schools, said the district had “over 3,000 students” in special education as of November 2024 and that the primary disability classification is learning disabilities while low-incidence needs — including autism and multiple disabilities — are increasing. Jackson described a continuum of services the district offers, from co-teaching and inclusion to specialized in-district classrooms and an off-campus program for 18- to 22-year-olds focused on employment skills.

Why it matters: Alders and speakers said the combination of rising need, staff shortages and soaring out-of-district tuition is forcing the city to spend millions and constraining service delivery inside schools. Jackson and others urged state-level changes, including revisions to the Education Cost Sharing (ECS) formula and higher excess-cost reimbursement, to help cover special-education expenses.

Most important facts

- District size and placements: Jackson said New Haven serves “over 3,000 students” in special education (Nov. 2024), with “a little over 300” in out-of-district placements and about 40 in-district specialized classrooms. She said approximately 190 students are served in charter schools.

- Costs: Jackson said federal IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act) funding to the district is “a little over $7,000,000.” She told the committee that special-education tuition for out-of-district placements is about $24,000,000 and special-education transportation is nearly $4,000,000. Jackson attributed the bulk of IDEA and local spending to personnel, benefits and contracts.

- Staffing and turnover: Multiple witnesses described shortages. Jenny Graves, vice president of the New Haven Federation of Teachers, presented district hiring and turnover figures: from July 2023 to July 2024 the district reportedly gained 33 special-education teachers and lost 30 (22 resignations). Several presenters testified to large numbers of vacancies for related-service positions — school psychologists, social workers, speech pathologists — and heavy caseloads for remaining staff.

- School-level impacts: Britney Ducran, a special-education teacher, described how the district’s continuum of services is implemented in classrooms and highlighted specialized programming (sensory spaces, adapted PE, assistive technology). Public speakers gave concrete examples of service shortfalls: Christopher Laca, an itinerant psychologist, said the number of psychologists assigned has fallen from pre‑COVID levels and that current caseloads exceed recommended ratios; parents and teachers recounted lapses in IEP implementation when staff are absent.

- District responses and proposals: Jackson outlined ongoing mitigation strategies: expanding in-district specialized classrooms to reduce out-of-district tuition; using contractors where staff vacancies persist; developing pipelines with alternative-certification partners (Southern Connecticut State University and CREC); and advocating at the state level for ECS formula changes and excess-cost reimbursement increases. She said creating in-district capacity would require capital investment (speaker gave a tentative capital figure but did not specify a firm, auditable number).

Public testimony and themes

Union and staff testimony focused on retention and workload. Jenny Graves said teachers and service providers are “completely burned out” and called for caseload and workload regulations, a tuition cap for private out-of-district placements, an ECS overhaul to include a weight for special-education students and livable wages for paraeducators.

Psychologists and social workers described increases in caseload and complexity. Christopher Laca testified that the number of school psychologists has fallen sharply from pre‑COVID levels and that one psychologist now covers an unusually high number of students and buildings, limiting the services they can provide. Suelyn Carbonelli, a school social worker, said her caseload rose to 54 students with IEPs.

Parents and classroom staff gave examples of delayed or inconsistent IEP services. Patrick Foley, a parent, said his son’s IEP services were inconsistently implemented after a teacher took extended leave and that school responses to parent concerns were, in his words, “denying any lapses.” Paraeducators and teachers described classrooms that include students with widely varying needs (nonverbal students, multiple medical needs, wheelchair users) and said the combination of high caseloads and low pay undermines consistency and safety.

District numbers and uncertainties

Jackson and presenters provided several district-level figures; some dollar amounts and a capital cost estimate mentioned during the meeting were not specified precisely in the presentation and should be treated as district-provided estimates unless the district publishes audited figures. For example, Jackson referenced a capital cost to build more in-district capacity but did not present a single, definitive capital-cost total in the workshop materials.

Next steps

Committee members and presenters emphasized advocacy in the 2025 state legislative session. Witnesses and district staff said they will press for changes to ECS, higher excess-cost reimbursement, and state-level measures to address tuition growth at private special-education placements. District staff said they will continue to expand in-district specialized classrooms and pursue recruitment and retention strategies, including alternative-certification pipelines.

Quotes

“We have over 3,000 students,” Tiffany Jackson said of New Haven Public Schools’ special-education population (Nov. 2024 figures presented at the workshop).

“Our special education teachers and service providers like social workers, speech pathologists, and school psychologists are completely burned out with very high caseloads,” Jenny Graves said, urging caseload regulations and a tuition cap for out-of-district placements.

“One psychologist should serve no more than 500 students,” Christopher Laca said, adding that current staffing levels force psychologists to do “two full time jobs” and reduce access to services.

Ending

The committee workshop did not include a vote. City officials and New Haven Public Schools staff framed the issue as an operational and state-policy challenge: district leaders outlined options to build more in-district capacity and to press for state funding reforms, while teachers, psychologists, paraprofessionals and parents urged immediate attention to vacancies, caseload limits and clearer IEP implementation. Alders and presenters said advocacy during the ongoing state legislative session and continued district planning will be the next public steps.