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Cheshire School District warns rising out-of-district special-education tuition is driving budget pressure
Summary
District special-education leaders told the board that growing IEP enrollment and sharply higher out-of-district tuition — averaging about $140,000 per placement and with some quotes exceeding $280,000 — are a major driver of next year’s budget and a central reason the district is requesting additional special-education staffing and assessment technology.
Cheshire School District officials told the Board of Education on Tuesday that growth in students with individualized education programs (IEPs) and soaring out‑of‑district tuition are creating sharp budget pressure for the coming year.
Ms. Carey, the district’s pupil‑personnel services director, said the district counted 725 students with IEPs as of December and that prevalence was about 16.3% for the 2024–25 reporting period, below the state average of 18.5% but rising. “We’ve seen an increase of 180 students with IEPs since 2020,” she said.
The district’s average tuition for an out‑of‑district placement rose to roughly $140,000 in 2024–25, Ms. Carey said, not including transportation, and she cited recent vendor quotes as high as $283,000 for a single student’s tuition. “That does not include transportation,” she added,…
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