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Hooksett schools: federal special-education and title funding likely to shrink; district weighing options
Summary
SAU 15 officials told a town information session that the district’s IDEA and Title grants are largely level for next year but Title II and IV funding faces cuts, creating a potential $600K+ gap that could force program cuts or local budget changes.
Bill Reerick, SAU 15 superintendent, told a Hooksett information session that the district’s largest federal grant under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act is effectively level for the coming year but other federal titles are uncertain, creating budget planning challenges for 2026–27.
Reerick said the district’s total IDEA allocation is projected at $461,436 for the coming year and that the initial federal payment — usually about one-third of the total — has arrived. “We’re projected to get a total of $461,436 for this coming year, which is what we were planning on receiving,” Reerick said. Christine Osborne, Hooksett director of student services, and Kimberly Sarfte, assistant superintendent, described how IDEA funds are used to pay for special-education teachers, paraprofessionals, speech providers, adaptive equipment and testing materials.
The nut of the district’s concern is uncertainty around Title II (professional development) and Title IV (well-rounded education/technology/safe and healthy schools) funding. Reerick and Sarfte said Commissioner Edelblut had told regional superintendents to “not expect very little if not…
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