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Board hears rising special‑education costs and staffing proposals for reading and ENL supports
Summary
District staff reported steep increases in special‑education costs—driven primarily by consortium/BOCES expenses—and proposed adding 2.0 reading specialists, 1.0 ENL FTE and other instructional supports while also proposing attrition‑based reductions to limit net FTE growth.
District instructional staff told the board that special‑education out‑of‑district costs have risen sharply over recent years and are a major driver of the 2026–27 budget pressures.
Presenters said out‑of‑district placements are not more numerous than in past years but are more expensive now, with BOCES (or like consortium) rates and higher‑intensity programs driving the jump from about $2.3 million to about $3.7 million in several years. Staff said reimbursements — state aid, Medicaid‑eligible services and a county preschool allocation — offset roughly $1.3 million of those outlays.
To address instructional priorities, staff proposed targeted additions: 2.0 FTE reading specialists (to provide intensive intervention aligned to the science of reading and to serve K–12 students by need rather than label), 1.0 ENL FTE to meet rising minutes requirements for lower‑proficiency students, a 2.0 foundations of innovation/technology replacement in middle school for retiring teachers, and incremental increases to elementary instructional coaching and related supports. The presenters emphasized that some additions (notably reading specialists) could be offset by pending special‑education annual reviews and potential attrition adjustments; staff said they would not cut special‑education positions until IEP reviews were complete.
Board members asked for clarification on why costs increased while out‑of‑district counts had not, and staff explained that program intensity and a shift in placement mix (more students in higher‑cost consortium programs) account for most of the increase.
The superintendent and instructional staff will return with final FTE recommendations when IEP season closes and the district has firmer enrollment and placement data ahead of budget adoption.
