Ed Clark, Stoughton’s director of special education, told the school committee the district experienced a ‘‘larger than normal number of students move in’’ over the summer and fall. He said 209 students moved into Stoughton between July 1 and early November and 51 of those students were already receiving special‑education services.

Clark said the district’s share of students on IEPs rose roughly two percentage points since June, moving the district from slightly below the state average to slightly above it. He described the district’s program continuum — preschool GROW classrooms, elementary TLC and RISE classrooms, learning centers, the alternative learning center (ALC) and a high‑school alternative education program — and said the largest identified category is autism spectrum disorders (20.6% locally vs. 17.3% statewide on DESE charts he showed).

‘‘We are up to 70 students that are currently being serviced outside of the Stoughton Public Schools because of the level of service that they require,’’ Clark said, adding that many outplacements are students on the autism spectrum whose needs exceed in‑district services.

Clark outlined steps the district has taken to manage growing demand: creating team‑chair roles to schedule and standardize eligibility and reevaluation meetings, adding an electronic‑signature feature to reduce paperwork turnaround for IEP documents, tracking calming‑room usage with QR codes to collect data, and contracting behavioral‑technician support for high‑need preschool students. He said these changes helped handle the surge in move‑ins and pointed to proposed staffing increases in next year’s budget.

Committee members asked about the drivers of the increase and cost implications of outplacements and specialized programs. Clark said some of the rise reflects concentrated local need rather than a single cause and stressed the district’s staffing and retention pressures: ‘‘These people are working tirelessly, Tirelessly,’’ he said of special‑education staff and recommended adding inclusion teachers and additional substantially separate classrooms in next year’s budget proposal.

Clark also described a recent DESE site visit focused on facilities, staffing qualifications and compliance; he said preliminary findings will be shared in a report expected in January and could prompt corrective actions in areas the reviewers identify.

The committee thanked Clark for the overview and indicated budget and staffing will be central items as the district finalizes next year’s proposals.