Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Special Education Costs topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Southington officials cite special‑education outplacement costs and returns to district as major budget factor
Summary
Board members and staff reviewed rising out‑of‑district special‑education costs, variable per‑student outplacement expenses, and savings from bringing students back into Southington programs.
Southington School District staff told the Board of Education that special‑education outplacement costs are highly variable and a significant budget pressure, and that returning some students to in‑district programs produced measurable savings.
Administrators said average outplacement transportation and tuition costs for the 2023–24 school year averaged $28,303 per student (with a low of $8,800 and a high of $120,741). For 2024–25, staff reported an average per‑student outplacement cost of $33,790 (low $11,475; high $87,021). As of the budget update, the district had encumbered and spent $2,257,075 against a budget of roughly $2,300,000, leaving approximately $36,724 of remaining budgeted funds for the year.
Staff warned that even a single new outplacement can dramatically affect the line item. The district reported 55 students currently outplaced for the year; each student is reevaluated annually and some can be returned to in‑district placements.
The presentation highlighted that the district was able to return 10 students from outplacement to in‑district programming; transportation and tuition for those 10 students totaled $879,460, while estimated in‑district costs to serve them were $279,667, for an approximate net savings of $600,000. Administrators said that excess‑cost reimbursements and other calculations affect net savings and that staff would provide a more detailed follow‑up at a later meeting.
Board members also raised the wider funding issue: district officials and members discussed the state’s role in special‑education funding and referenced continued lobbying through professional organizations; the superintendent noted a bill had been introduced to assist with special‑education funding. Some board members recalled discussions of collective legal action in other contexts but acknowledged litigation is a lengthy process.
No formal action was taken at the workshop; staff said they would provide further details on excess‑cost calculations and related budget implications at the next meeting.
