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District outlines $42.7M special‑education gap and positions MTSS as fiscal and instructional strategy
Summary
Special‑education leaders told the board Sac City serves 6,727 students with IEPs (17.9% of enrollment) and projected a $224M need for 2025‑26 versus a $181M adopted budget, leaving about $42.7M unfunded; MTSS proof‑of‑concept sites were presented as a way to reduce future special‑education reliance.
Sacramento City Unified special‑education leaders presented a fiscal and programmatic update to the School Board, reporting that the district is serving 6,727 students with Individualized Education Programs — roughly 17.9% of its students — and that projected special‑education needs for 2025‑26 total $224 million compared with an adopted special‑education budget of $181 million.
"The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act requires us to provide a free and appropriate education in the least restrictive environment," a district special‑education presenter said, emphasizing that federal, state and local funding historically cover only a portion of excess special‑education costs and that the district must bridge a $42.7 million projected gap.
Chief Business Officer Janae Marking and special‑education leadership explained why the adopted special‑education contribution is often set below projected need: historical budgeting practices to avoid prematurely raising the maintenance‑of‑effort floor, periodic in‑year adjustments based on reporting periods, and the board’s direction to pursue cost‑containment. Marking said the district can present alternatives — including earmarking a portion of assigned fund balance to make contingency treatment more transparent — if the board wishes a different budgeting signal.
Presenters outlined immediate containment actions now underway: contract and position‑control audits to ensure vendors deliver budgeted FTEs and services, stricter oversight of vendor implementation (including AB 11172 training requirements for behavior supports), and efforts to expand MTSS (multi‑tiered system of supports) to provide Tier‑1 and Tier‑2 interventions before referring students to specialized services.
"Expanding MTSS to deliver high quality Tier‑1 instruction and early interventions is both a fiscal strategy and a moral imperative," the acting chief academic officer said, adding that MTSS implementation is intended to reduce over‑identification and future special‑education demand.
Board members pressed for clearer contingency reporting and timelines; staff said immediate cost items do not yet have precise dollar values but committed to provide more explicit earmarking or contingency identification in upcoming reporting periods. The board discussed potential impacts on classroom supplies, contracting for 1‑on‑1 aides, and the need to balance cost containment with students’ legally mandated services.
What happens next: Staff will refine the district’s reporting to show contingencies and will continue MTSS rollout at proof‑of‑concept sites while the board monitors first‑interim numbers and the outcomes of ongoing audits and contract reviews.
