Brentwood proposes $135.2M special‑services budget to expand in‑district supports and staffing

Rhonda, presenting on behalf of the district's Office of Special Services, outlined the proposed 2026–27 special‑services budget and described a multi‑year expansion of in‑district supports to meet rising student needs.

"Every student with a disability deserves high‑quality inclusive instruction that removes barriers and provides access and prepares students for life beyond graduation," Rhonda said as she introduced the presentation, which she framed around three pillars: inclusive instruction, barrier removal and transition readiness.

Rhonda told the board special‑services staffing now totals roughly 615 staff district‑wide and that 17% of students are classified for special education — more than 3,000 students districtwide. She said CSC and CPSC meetings increased by nearly 20% (from 5,240 to 6,261), reflecting more individualized planning workloads for staff.

She described program outcomes the district attributes to early intervention and MTSS. At East Kindergarten Center, a speech push‑in model reduced referrals from a 2023–24 baseline of 30 referrals to seven this year — a reduction Rhonda described as 75% from last year and 86% from baseline. She credited embedded speech supports, team teaching and evidence‑based interventions for decreasing higher‑tier evaluations.

Rhonda listed capacity and cost drivers behind the budget changes: increased BOCES and private placements, salary costs, expanded agency staffing and investments in in‑district occupational and physical therapy. She said the district aims to reduce reliance on contracted providers by hiring more in‑district staff where possible.

The presentation included detailed line‑item shifts: Series 2250 (program for students with disabilities) was projected at about $109.3 million (a 6.77% increase); other service series (speech, health, psychological services) were adjusted for retirements, salary changes and increased in‑district staff. Overall, she presented a special‑services projection of $135.2 million — an increase she characterized as approximately $8.4 million or 6.59% year over year.

Rhonda identified next‑step staffing requests to meet demand: one elementary social worker, two clerical staff for CPSE intake, three psychologists for preschool evaluations, five occupational therapists, one physical therapist, 10 secondary special‑education teachers, nine speech teachers, three behavior specialists and two teachers on specialist assignment for meeting support.

She also described program investments and partnerships: a proposed school satellite mental‑health clinic at the freshman campus pending final approval, a teacher‑assistant apprenticeship pathway with state partners, and IDEA Part B grants totaling just over $5.4 million (Part B 611) and $295,610 (Part B 619) to support services for ages 3–21 and preschool ages.

Board members responded with praise for the presentation and asked no substantive questions during the session. Rhonda said additional staffing requests and grant offsets will be part of upcoming budget deliberations.

Next steps: the district will include these special‑services staffing proposals in the ongoing budget development process; final adoption will follow required public hearings and board votes.