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Board briefed on SASID facility plan, possible debt issuance and tuition implications
Summary
SASID is exploring consolidating special‑education facilities and issuing debt certificates to fund a new building; the district places about 16–20 students with SASID and currently pays roughly $1 million a year for SASID tuition and transportation, and board members discussed travel time and possible alternatives to reduce long‑term tuition costs.
The board received an informational update about SASID, the DuPage County special education cooperative that serves Community High School District 94 and 17 other member districts.
A committee member summarized a recent SASID facilities review: SASID is considering consolidating multiple sites into one facility because the current configuration does not meet program needs. To fund a new facility, SASID would issue debt certificates; under the proposed structure, member districts’ tuition would be based on a five‑year enrollment average and wrapped into the debt structure. The committee member said no board action is required at this time; the presentation was informational.
The committee member said CHSD 94 typically places about 16–20 students with SASID and that tuition and associated transportation currently amount to roughly $1,000,000 per year. Board members discussed anticipated travel-time increases (estimates ranged from 10 to 45 minutes depending on pickup location) and transportation and service‑quality trade‑offs if SASID consolidates to a site farther east.
The presenter noted potential financial and membership consequences: if a member district withdraws soon after debt issuance, the district could be held to a tuition amount based on the five‑year average; conversely, districts could remain members with fewer students and pay only for current placements. Board members asked about options to provide services in‑district for some students to reduce transportation and tuition costs; the presenter said that is an area the district will explore to determine whether some services could be delivered closer to home.
The presenter estimated average SASID tuition around $50,000 per student (range about $48,000–$60,000) plus roughly $10,000 per student in transportation, stressing that while the cooperative provides high‑quality services, the district owes it to students and taxpayers to explore alternatives if comparable services can be secured at lower cost.
