North Middlesex leaders propose three special‑education hires as IEP caseloads and costs rise

Superintendent Morgan told the North Middlesex Regional School Committee finance subcommittee on Oct. 25 that the district is facing rising elementary special‑education needs — particularly at Varnum Brook — and plans to add three positions to address safety, instructional support and compliance.

“We have posted 2 additional behavior techs in that building. Currently, there are 2, and they are not able to address the number of issues that arise over the course of the day. ... They definitely need to be doubled, in our estimation at this point,” Superintendent Morgan said. He added the district is considering moving one special‑education administrator to a more hands‑on role in classrooms and hiring or backfilling to maintain supervisory coverage.

The district estimated the short‑term cost for the two behavior technicians and the administrator at about $170,000, excluding benefits, with “the behavior techs are around 30, and the administrator is around a 100, ballparking that,” Morgan said. District staff confirmed the behavior technicians would be full‑time FTEs.

The administrators and staff described why the additions are needed. Morgan said state changes now require special‑education administrators to chair many IEP meetings, which has increased administrative workload. Dr. Rees, who has direct special‑education experience, said many students are presenting with more complex social, emotional and behavioral needs at the elementary level and noted a broader post‑COVID trend.

“The meetings, are generally 1 to 2 hours, in some cases longer,” Morgan said, describing typical IEP team meetings and the time necessary to draft and approve individual education plans. The district reported it is approaching 800 students on IEPs, creating a large number of annual reviews and three‑year reevaluations.

Committee members asked how the hires would be funded. Nancy (district finance staff) said the district currently has salary‑line flexibility this fiscal year and that contracted services have been used where hiring was not possible; she added out‑of‑district placement costs are running below prior projections so far. Nancy also said the district used $1,000,008.72 from E&D (reserves) for the current budget year.

Finance committee members expressed concern about longer‑term funding. Morgan warned that a municipal assessment of 3 percent would likely leave the district with little room once anticipated health‑insurance increases and existing contractual obligations are accounted for. As a result, the committee discussed using one‑time reserves in the short term, pursuing grants for professional development, and considering program redistribution (for example, shifting a large program from Pepperell to Townsend) to better balance staffing needs across buildings.

District staff asked the finance committee to consider the tradeoffs of continued reserve use. Nancy said the policy subcommittee is examining a policy around reserve and E&D usage; finance members asked to see that policy and requested that staff prepare visuals showing the budget impact of 10 percent, 15 percent and 20 percent increases in health insurance, including retiree impacts related to the Group Insurance Commission.

Staff also warned of external cost pressures: nationwide and statewide private special‑education tuitions have risen substantially, which could increase out‑of‑district tuition costs and the district’s reliance on circuit‑breaker reimbursements.

The committee asked that administration produce a top‑level, one‑page budget snapshot (original budget, prior year, spending‑to‑date) and scenario charts for the November/December review cycle. Members scheduled a follow‑up meeting for Monday, Dec. 1, at 8:30 a.m. to review updated figures and policy recommendations.

Votes and formal actions at the meeting were limited. The committee moved, seconded and approved a motion to adjourn at the end of the session.