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Nashoba leaders warn of rising special‑education and transportation costs, propose in‑district transportation coordinator
Summary
Administrators told the Nashoba school committee that out‑of‑district tuitions and transportation costs have driven large budget pressures for FY‑27. They proposed hiring an in‑district transportation coordinator (estimated ~$80,000) and described route changes that could reduce costs versus the current collaborative contract.
Administration presented the first FY‑27 finance and operations update at the Feb. 11 Nashoba Regional School Committee meeting, flagging rising special‑education tuition and transportation costs as the most significant drivers of budget pressure and proposing operational changes to stabilize costs.
Assistant Superintendent Ross Mulcahren and Director of Student Services Ryan Dimanche outlined several revenue and expense factors: initial signals from the governor’s budget raised Chapter 70 funding by $75 per student in the draft proposal; federal ESSA titles looked likely to be near level funding; but Medicaid reimbursement changes and unknown health‑insurance rates add uncertainty. Dimanche said out‑of‑district tuition rates vary widely in the market and gave example ranges the district faces (he cited lower‑end placements near $62,310 and some placements above $300,000). Dimanche and Mulcahren emphasized that those large tuition line items reflect individual students with intensive needs and that a single placement can materially affect a small regional district’s budget.
Transportation costs are a separate pressure. The district participates in an ABC collaborative contract that applies an approximately 8% management fee on vendor pricing, and Mulcahren presented three levers the administration has explored: bringing eight vans under district management this year, negotiating with smaller vendors for lower per‑route pricing, and adding an in‑district transportation coordinator to manage routing and vendor negotiations. The coordinator was estimated to cost roughly $80,000; administrators estimated that replacing the collaborative management fee with an in‑district coordinator could save roughly $177,000 annually in fees and, combined with route changes and in‑house management, could produce larger potential savings in the model presented.
Committee members asked detailed questions: how much of the proposed reduction is one‑time versus structural; what portion of special‑education increases are tuition vs. transportation; and how enrollment and case volatility (students moving in/out) affect year‑to‑year costs. Administrators said the district is pursuing both internal cost control measures and state‑level advocacy; they noted the governor’s budget includes fully funding the circuit breaker at 75% (reimbursement for special‑education costs above the statutory floor), but that circuit‑breaker reimbursement is complex and not a full offset.
Mulcahren presented a preliminary budget impact that incorporated some of the proposed offsets and reductions; after adjustments the operating budget landed ‘‘just about over 5%’’ growth in the operating budget, with administrators identifying roughly $750,000 still needed to reach a 4% target. They emphasized several pending variables—official health‑insurance rates, excess and deficiency certification, and negotiations for Unit A and Unit C contracts—that could change the final numbers.
The committee signaled support for pursuing a transportation coordinator and asked administration to present a formal job description, salary range and comparative market data at an upcoming personnel or budget subcommittee. Administrators said they will bring the position forward for committee review and, if the subcommittees agree, could include it in the next budget iteration.
