Hingham proposes 504 coordinator and expands BCBA support as special‑education needs grow

Hingham's executive director for student services, Dr. Panarisi, told the School Committee on Jan. 26 that the district has seen a steady rise in students receiving special‑education services and 504 accommodations and presented staffing and program changes intended to sustain compliance and in‑district supports.

Dr. Panarisi said the district now has higher counts of students on IEPs and 504 plans across several buildings and described several in‑district program expansions — including integrated preschool placements at the new Foster School and plans to phase RISE (autism) programs into Foster in 2026–27. "We have put in some very unique supports at the school level," she said, citing a mix of permanent and contracted Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBAs) and a behavior‑technician pilot that, she said, has helped keep students in their home schools.

To address administrative and compliance demands, Panarisi proposed restoring a secondary special‑education leadership position (eliminated in earlier cuts) and reallocating funds from a retiring high‑school guidance counselor to create a 504 coordinator — a cost‑neutral reconfiguration intended to centralize 504 meeting facilitation and free counselors for student‑facing work. The administration estimated approximately 355 total 504 plans between the middle and high schools and said the coordinator would help ensure fidelity of accommodations.

Panarisi also reviewed caseload and contract pressures: out‑of‑district tuitions remain a significant cost driver, the Office of Student Services expects a state guidance increase for approved private special‑education programs of about 3–4 percent (with program‑specific reconstructions possible), and district staff have increased contracting for speech‑language pathologists, school psychologists and other related services where local hiring is difficult.

Why it matters: Rising special‑education needs and mandated compliance create structural budget pressures and staffing requirements. Committee members pressed for clarity about how new or reconfigured roles would operate in practice; administration promised more detailed job and benchmarking data in follow‑up communications.

Next steps: The committee requested more detailed cost and benchmarking information and accepted the presentation; any formal staffing additions or reappointments will follow budget deliberations and must fit within the FY27 planning envelope.