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Astoria SD 1 board hears pressure from special-education spending and updates on preschool and health services
Summary
Board members were briefed that special-education spending is near $6 million with the district's special-ed rate cited at 19.6% (above budgetary caps), staff reviewed Preschool Promise slot rules and staffing, and health services were described as two nurses funded from general education that must be budgeted to continue.
The Astoria SD 1 board on April 8 received budget and program briefings that highlighted sustained pressure from special-education costs and operational updates on preschool and health services.
District staff told the board that the district spends roughly $5 million from special-education funds plus about $340,000 from federal sources and some SIA grants—approaching $6 million in total special-education expenditures. A presenter noted the district's current special-education percentage was about 19.6%, which exceeds the referenced cap discussed in budget planning and represents a roughly 8-percentage-point gap the district must manage moving forward.
Staff described the Preschool Promise program that the district has sustained for more than a decade, noting it provides roughly 16–18 slots (staff described the selection process as state-managed and that some slots overlap with Head Start). The Preschool Promise requires two classified staff and one certified teacher; the district recently moved the program to a different site (Aster) to group children by age.
On health services, presenters said nursing coverage is the equivalent of two full-time positions shared across schools, funded from general education rather than a dedicated health funding stream. Staff said maintaining these nursing FTEs will require budgeting choices in the coming year.
Board members asked clarifying questions about maintenance-of-effort rules, exemptions, and funding consistency. Finance staff described maintenance-of-effort as the state's expectation that staffing and dedicated funds remain consistent year to year, with limited exceptions for specified circumstances such as long-term leaves or district consolidations. The presentations will feed into May budget meetings when the board begins formal budget deliberations.
