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Special-education costs driving Lewiston’s budget higher, director warns
Summary
The district’s special-education budget has risen to about $39 million; director Kirsten Cross said out-of-district tuition, transportation and related services are the primary drivers and that in‑district programs (Climb, RISE) have reduced some costs but vacancies and MaineCare formulas leave the district absorbing large shares.
Kirsten Cross, Lewiston’s director of special education, told the school committee that Article 2 of the FY27 budget is the largest pressure point: special education now accounts for about 30% of the district’s budget and has grown from roughly $34 million last year to $39 million in the current proposal.
Cross said three factors explain most of the increase: tuition for special-purpose private schools (outplacements), higher transportation costs and increased related-service charges (speech, BHPs and other contractors). She noted that the state reimbursement formulas and MaineCare seed-cost arrangements do not cover current placement or tuition rates, leaving the district to absorb substantial costs. “We have 107 students outplaced at the moment…that for the entire budget is 30.2%,” Cross said. She also highlighted a legislative and funding context, noting that the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) has never been fully funded nationwide.
In-house programs and returns: Cross credited the district’s Climb, RISE and day-treatment programs with bringing students back into district programming; she reported about 208 students currently served in-house and said 12 students have transitioned back this year with five more expected to return by year-end. Cross estimated that fully using district capacity could save millions but stressed that staffing and space remain constraints.
Impact and committee questions: Committee members asked for specific counts of students returned from outplacement and how MaineCare age rules affect reimbursement; Cross explained MaineCare stops covering reimbursements at age 20 while the district is formally responsible to educate until age 22, which increases district costs for older outplaced students.
Ending: Cross and committee agreed to provide additional detail on in-house capacity, grant versus local funding for positions and school‑level staffing that could affect the district’s ability to reduce outplacement costs.
