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Farmington schools propose staffing shifts and expanded special‑education services as costs rise
Summary
The Board of Education presented a recommended 2026–27 budget that would shift some para‑professional roles to higher‑skilled certified positions, add a secondary special‑services supervisor and expand a 0.5 psychologist to full time, citing a rise in complexity of special‑education cases and use of excess‑cost grants to offset costs.
The Farmington Board of Education on March 11 told the Town Council its 2026–27 recommended budget rebalances staffing toward higher‑skill roles in response to growing complexity among students with special needs.
BOE presenters said the district is not seeing a dramatic increase in the number of students with IEPs but is seeing more intensive service needs — including multiple related services per student — that require certified staff such as school psychologists, occupational therapists and a proposed secondary supervisor of special services.
"While our overall numbers of students who have IEPs and 504s hasn't increased dramatically, the complexity of those needs has," Wendy Banish, director of special services, said during the presentation. She said the district expects the change will reduce reliance on outside contractors and produce better continuity of care.
The proposal includes converting an existing 0.5 school‑psychologist role to a full‑time position, adding a secondary supervisor for special services, and creating a care‑team role. The BOE also recommended reductions of certain para‑professional positions where certified staff can provide more specialized interventions.
Finance staff said the district is leveraging state excess‑cost grants that reimburse districts when students meet intensity thresholds; the BOE estimated more students now meet that four‑and‑a‑half‑times threshold, enabling additional revenue to offset operating costs. "When you calculate the needs and services for what the children are actually receiving, they now meet that threshold where we can apply for the grant," Wendy Banish said.
Councilors asked for more granular documentation of assumptions used in the budget — in particular the enrollment estimates and how stepped and contract wage increases were calculated. The BOE committed to supplying more detailed breakout sheets on pupil counts, grant revenue application, and how salary increases (general wage increases plus steps) translate to the total salary line.
What it means: The budget's special‑education changes would shift some services in‑house, increase some certified FTEs, and rely on grant revenue to limit the net operating cost. Council members signaled they need more line‑level detail before completing final approvals.
