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Special-education costs and default budget force proposed cuts including teacher and interventionist positions
Summary
District leaders told the board that special-education costs (81 of 556 students identified) and a failed warrant have produced a roughly $400,000 shortfall under a default budget; the superintendent proposed delaying capital items and cutting staff including the shared MTSS interventionist, one RMMS classroom teacher and reducing an RMMS special-education case manager to half‑time.
At the March 25 meeting the superintendent presented a special‑education cost-driver overview and outlined the implications of operating under the district’s default budget after voters did not approve the requested operating budget. Administrators reported that, using the state’s October 1 count, 81 of the district’s 556 students (about 14.6%) were identified for special education this year (RMMS: 33 of 304; CSDA: 48 of 252). The district described in-district STEP and IMPACT programs serving roughly 18 students and said out‑of‑district placements can cost $100,000–$200,000 or more per student per year when tuition, related services and transportation are included.
Using a staff‑cost example, presenters estimated an in‑district per‑student average near $75,000; an illustrative scenario of 10 students in out‑of‑district placements could cost upward of $3 million per year. The superintendent explained that special‑education aid is reimbursed by the state on a lag (submissions in July; reimbursement arrives around the following December) and that past funding shortfalls and formula shifts have made revenue forecasting uncertain.
Because the operating warrant failed and the district now faces a roughly $400,000 reduction from the budget it sought, the superintendent proposed a list of cuts and delays to reach the target. Proposed capital delays include postponing replacement interactive flat panels, emergency lighting replacement and the Milford Street wing roof replacement at RMMS, and delaying a privacy curtain and seal coating. Proposed staffing reductions would remove the shared MTSS interventionist position, cut a full‑time classroom teacher at RMMS and reduce an RMMS special‑education case manager to half‑time; the superintendent said these cuts are “not easy” and would reduce intervention capacity.
Board members pressed for detail about safety risks tied to deferred facilities work (including roof leaks and lack of a full sprinkler system at RMS) and asked for options for using retained FY26 funds or the special‑education trust to address urgent repairs. The business administrator reported an improving revenue/expense picture but said the unreserved fund balance was near zero; the board agreed to revisit final decisions and directed administrators to build scenarios and publicly noticed options for April–June meetings.
