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Weare School District faces rising special-education costs, board imposes temporary budget freeze
Summary
School leaders told the board that special-education needs and out-of-district costs have increased sharply this fall, prompting a short-term budget freeze and proposals to use reserve mechanisms such as the special-education trust and warrant articles.
Weare School District leaders told the school board on Sept. 16 that special-education caseloads and high-cost services have grown since spring, creating an immediate budget pressure that the district is addressing with a temporary purchasing freeze and consideration of reserve funding.
District business administrator Chris Roy and Superintendent Jackie Coe described a rapid increase in students identified with developmentally delayed and other high-need disabilities. The presenters said the district had 24 students in that category in 2021–22 and 40 at the start of the 2025–26 school year, creating new needs for one-on-one paraprofessionals, skilled behavior technicians and, in some cases, out-of-district placements.
Those additional service needs, the administration said, are driving roughly $200,000 of unbudgeted special-education expenditures this fall. The board placed a limited purchasing freeze on nonessential items while administrators review options to cover the shortfall without compromising direct services. The freeze was…
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