CABE representative warns board of vetoed special-education funding, urges local testimony

Sheila McKay, a legislative representative with CABE, told the Buchanan Board of Education on March 3 that the governor has line‑item vetoed an addition of $40,000,000 to the state’s excess‑cost reimbursement grant and that the legislature may seek a veto override as soon as Wednesday.

McKay said the House had approved the add‑in at “45 to 5 with 5 absent” and the Senate at “34 to 2,” and she urged board members, administrators and families to contact legislators and provide testimony at the override and related hearings. "Please get us your stories," she said, asking districts to submit written and in‑person comments for a select committee public hearing expected in mid‑March.

Why it matters: McKay said the excess‑cost reimbursement helps districts defray unusually high special‑education costs—tuition, transportation and nonpublic placements—that can exceed many times a district’s per‑pupil cost. She warned that underfunding or changes to the reimbursement formula could reduce local receipts; in New Canaan, recent formula changes would have reduced the district’s reimbursement by approximately $200,000 to $250,000 under the distribution model discussed.

McKay gave a broad legislative briefing touching on several bills and topics of interest to districts. She summarized: the state is studying possible rate setting for tuition and other payments for special‑education placements; a proposal exists to change the excess‑cost threshold (now described at “4½ times” per‑pupil in current testimony) to lower multipliers (3½ times or lower were mentioned in testimony); and the new select committee on special education is collecting evidence on what is “working and what’s not” across districts.

On other pending measures, McKay said legislators are considering: - A paraeducator benefit proposal that would provide a partial state contribution toward health‑savings accounts and could leave districts responsible for matching costs; CABE urged those costs be bargained locally. - A bill to codify State Board of Education guidance on student use of smart devices; CABE supported codifying the August 2024 guidelines rather than adopting stricter statewide rules. - A proposal to require cardiac response plans and wider AED availability in school buildings; McKay said grant funding for AEDs was being discussed but cautioned about ongoing maintenance costs for devices. - Legislation to set a process for library complaints and a defined complaint pathway that, according to testimony she cited, would require districts to adopt policies and processes so librarians and districts can handle challenges without escalating every case to a formal complaint.

McKay also noted long‑running work on Education Cost Sharing (ECS) funding and teacher‑recruitment initiatives, including teacher residency expansions that had lost promised funds in the current biennium.

Questions from district staff followed. Bill Tesberg, assistant superintendent for pupil and family services, asked whether adjusting the excess‑cost threshold for in‑district versus out‑of‑district students remained under discussion; McKay said it was still on the table. Superintendent Dr. Lutze and board members were urged to organize testimony and district stories for the select committee’s hearing window.

Looking ahead, McKay encouraged participation in statewide advocacy events, including a planned "Day in the Hill" on March 12 where district representatives can meet legislators.

Provenance: Excerpts of McKay’s remarks and follow-up questions were recorded throughout the legislative‑update segment of the meeting.