RSU 5 board approves joining state early-childhood special-education cohort; administrators cite $17,300 net local impact and startup supports

The RSU 5 board unanimously approved a motion on Feb. 4 to join cohort 3 (2026–27) for early-childhood special education and begin transitioning services from Child Development Services (CDS) to the district.

The motion to "consideration and approval to join cohort 3 20 26, 20 27 of the early childhood special education, e d s e, transition from child development services, CVS, to RSU 5" was made and seconded (Kelly and Kara acknowledged for the motion/second). The superintendent summarized negotiations with the Maine Department of Education after a state spreadsheet error delayed final guidance; DOE officials later clarified which costs would be allowable in the state-funded allocation.

Administrators laid out staffing and budget impacts: the district can allocate 0.2 of an ECSE coordinator position into the early-childhood fund, move portions of an existing speech-language pathologist's salary (0.9) into the fund, and add a special-purpose pre-K special-education teacher and two new special-education EdTechs fully funded through the program. The superintendent said most start-up and ongoing services would be supported by a separate 100%-state-funded pot for districts joining early; the consolidated net impact to the local taxpayer shown in the administration spreadsheet was about $17,300.

Officials also enumerated likely startup items and the risk profile: curriculum, assessments and PD totaling roughly $3,200; a van as a capital special requisition estimated at about $43,000; iPads and other technology estimated at roughly $10,500; and car seats/boosters around $380. Administrators warned the district cannot guarantee the incentive/startup funds will cover all requests if the state fund is oversubscribed, though they said earlier joiners are likelier to receive stronger support. Administrators reported an initial projected count of about 25 four-year-old students for the first quarter and said quarterly disbursements could begin as early as April.

Board members probed contingencies if the state withheld startup funding and asked whether the district could absorb costs, how ESY (extended-school-year) responsibilities would be handled, and how funding would flow across quarters. Administration committed to bringing more detailed line-item information to the March budget vote and to listing the ECSE items under 'additions' to the budget packet.

Action: motion to join ECSE cohort passed (voice vote recorded on the record as "None opposed").