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Town approves separate $726,293 appropriation for out-of-district special-education tuition
Summary
Voters approved Article 8, a standalone appropriation of $726,293 for tuition and costs for students placed out of district, after arguments that the funding should remain separate from the local K–4 school budget.
Lakeville voters approved Article 8 at the annual town meeting, appropriating $726,293 to fund tuition and related costs for special-education students placed in out-of-district programs.
The motion to raise and appropriate the sum was made by Aaron Burke, identified at the meeting as the local school committee chairman. Supporters of the standalone article argued the appropriation preserves a separate funding mechanism for out-of-district special-education placements and prevents those costs from being absorbed into the local K–4 school budget. Opponents and the finance committee urged keeping the amount within the overall school budget; the finance committee stated it recommended disapproval of the warrant article at the warrant meeting prior to the town meeting.
Speakers presenting history and reasons for the separate appropriation traced the practice back to earlier arrangements intended to insulate local K–4 budgets from regional special-education placement costs that primarily affect older grades. Robert John, who described past service on the school committee, said the separation was adopted to avoid decisions about out-of-district placements being made at the regional level while costs fell on the local budget. Additional residents and school-affiliated speakers said the separate appropriation had produced clearer budgeting for special education in prior years.
After discussion, the moderator put Article 8 to a vote. The moderator declared the article passed by a large majority (the moderator counted votes and reported only a small number of opposed cards), and the town moved back to the annual meeting agenda.
The finance committee’s prior recommendation against the article and the school committee’s support were both recorded during discussion. The vote means the $726,293 amount will be appropriated separately for out-of-district special-education placements rather than included inside the local K–4 school appropriation this fiscal year.
