Mount Lebanon reports rising special‑education and 504 enrollments and high outplacement tuition costs

At the Mount Lebanon School District budget forum, staff highlighted programmatic changes that are driving budget pressure: special‑education and 504 plan enrollments have increased materially over the past decade and year to year.

"For this data, there was an increase of 40 special ed students since last school year," Dr. Fries said, adding that special‑education students now comprise 16% of total enrollment (up from 11.6% in 2014–15) and that the district has 256 more special‑education students than in 2015–16. She emphasized that outside placements have grown in number and cost.

"To put this into perspective for our outside placement tuition rates, they range from $23,400 to $103,762 per year," she said, noting those outplacement rates add significant per‑student expense when students require services outside district facilities.

Staff also reported that 504 plans have increased from 2.9% (2015–16) to 8.1% (2024–25), equal to about 290 more students on 504 plans than in 2015–16, and that 504 plans do not receive state or federal funding dedicated specifically to that support. English language learner enrollment rose by 19 students this year and now represents 5.6% of enrollment; ELL instruction is contracted through the Allegheny Intermediate Unit and receives limited Title III support.

District presenters framed these program trends as drivers of both ongoing operating costs and one‑time placement expenses, and they tied the developments to the district's planning assumptions for the 2025–26 budget. The presenters said district staff continue to seek grant opportunities and to model tuition and staffing changes in multi‑year projections.

The forum allowed public comment and questions; no formal action on programs was taken at the forum.