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District examines ABA classroom staffing as enrollment trends shift
Summary
Webster staff told the committee that Park Avenue Elementary’s three ABA classrooms are serving 36 students and the district is exploring internal staff reallocations (not new hires) and space adjustments to maintain appropriate supports rather than outsourcing placements.
Special education staff briefed the Webster School Committee May 26 about capacity and staffing for the district’s ABA classrooms at Park Avenue Elementary.
The program currently runs three ABA classrooms that can serve up to 12 students each; staff reported they are ending the year with 36 students. The mix of entrants — move‑ins, students returning from private insurance ABA programs, and preschool step‑ups — contributed to enrollment volatility, the presenter said.
Staff said classroom populations are heterogeneous: some students are ready to transition toward inclusion while others require more restrictive supports. "It would be an injustice to combine the third classroom to accommodate numbers when it wouldn't allow the students to really get what they need," the presenter said.
Rather than immediately requesting a new position, staff described plans to reallocate existing personnel and examine space and schedules to preserve appropriate staff‑to‑student ratios and class sizes within the current budget. They emphasized the need to balance program capacity with individualized services and avoid unnecessary out‑of‑district placements.
Committee members asked about typical staff‑student ratios (reported around two staff to one student in many rooms) and the constraints of building space for an additional classroom. Staff said they will continue evaluating staffing and locations and return with recommended changes if reallocation is insufficient.
