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Finance committee reviews special-education and charter-school cost increases and recommends reserve transfers

Upper Dublin School District Finance Committee ยท February 18, 2026

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Summary

District finance staff reported higher special-education and charter-school tuition expenses requiring midyear budget transfers; the committee recommended using budgetary and capital reserves to cover an estimated $545,000 in additional costs and moved several contract renewals and purchases forward for legislative approval.

The Finance Committee reviewed monthly financials and several recommended budget transfers on Feb. 18, focusing on rising special-education placements and an unexpected increase in cyber-charter enrollments.

District staff said special-education move-ins and MCIU placements required approximately $365,000 in additional funding (about $240,000 for MCIU placements and $125,000 for out-of-district placements and evaluations). Separately, the district reported 24 additional cyber-charter enrollments this year, raising projected charter tuition to about $970,000 and creating a $180,000 transfer need for charter tuition lines.

Administration recommended using the remaining budgetary reserve (about $125,000) and a portion of the capital reserve transfer (approximately $406,500) to cover the current shortfall while noting year-end projections and a pending bond-refunding could alter final transfers. The committee moved the recommendation forward for legislative approval.

Other items the committee advanced included a $4,496 hazardous-materials survey (Element/Elmwood Environmental) to be performed over spring break, a summer mill-and-pave bid for Maple Glen and high-school lots, renewal of the Gorman and Associates audit engagement (proposed increase to $29,000 in year one) and renewal of special-education legal services with Sweet Stevens Katz & Williams (minor hourly increases). The committee also approved moving forward with a Layer-3 network switch replacement for elementary schools (to capture E-Rate reimbursement) and accepted the Dec. 10 meeting minutes.