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Board approves Muskingum Valley contract as trustees warn special-education costs are rising
Summary
Trustees approved a contract with Muskingum Valley Educational Services for special-education placements after discussion about rising costs tied to increased numbers of students requiring intensive services; staff said the district expects some catastrophic-cost reimbursement from the state but it will be a small percentage.
The Fairfield Union Local School District Board approved a contract with Muskingum Valley Educational Services for fiscal year 2026, citing an increase in the number of students requiring out-of-district or specialized placements and higher per-student costs.
Treasurer Mrs. Roberts and district staff told trustees the Muskingum Valley contract reflects higher service levels and additional students placed in specialized programs. Board members asked for and received an explanation of the district’s process for recovering exceptional special-education costs: districts submit catastrophic-cost claims to the state when a single student’s cost exceeds the state-set threshold (staff described an illustrative threshold in the “$20,000–$30,000” range) and the state reimburses a portion of approved submittals — historically between roughly 20% and 30% depending on that year’s available state pool.
District staff described a noticeable increase in students with autism-spectrum and behavioral needs over recent years and said that while the district has grown its in-house behavior-response teams and other supports, some placements still require outside shared or county units. Staff and trustees discussed whether rising placement costs might justify in-house expansions in future years; the treasurer said the forecast already reflects increases in special-education spending.
Action taken: the board voted unanimously to approve the Muskingum Valley Educational Services contract for fiscal 2026. The motion was moved and seconded on the record and passed by roll call.
Why it matters: Trustees and staff said special-education is a growing and costly component of the district budget, and while the state provides limited catastrophic-cost reimbursement after the fact, the increasing number of students needing high-cost services is a near-term budget pressure that factors into transfer decisions and multi-year forecasts.
Next steps: staff will continue to monitor placements, pursue collaborative in-house options when feasible, and include special-education cost trends in the district’s financial forecasts.
