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Norwich officials say rising special-education costs and lower state reimbursement threaten district budget
Summary
Board members and staff described a sharp drop in state excess-cost reimbursement and a midyear rate increase by a regional provider, and outlined in-house steps that have produced roughly $662,000 in savings so far.
The Norwich Board of Education heard a sustained briefing Jan. 14 on mounting special-education costs, a midyear rate increase from a regional provider and how new in-district programs are offsetting some tuition expenses.
The district’s finance staff told the board that the state’s excess-cost reimbursement rate for Norwich dropped to 64.19% for the current year, “the lowest ever,” and that a major provider, EastCon, announced a 15% rate increase effective Jan. 6. “We will only get 64.19%, which is the lowest ever,” one district finance official said during the presentation. The official described the combination of higher provider rates and lower state reimbursement as a “major legislative fight” and a driver of an emerging budget shortfall.
The presentation explained why the change matters: districts receive state reimbursement for special-education expenditures under Connecticut’s…
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