Parent urges RSU 03 to add in-district behavioral supports rather than transfer a kindergartner out of district

A mother told the RSU 03 school board she will not accept an out-of-district transfer for her 5-year-old son and urged the district to provide in-school behavioral supports, including a small padded 'safe room,' to allow him and other students with intense needs to remain in their local school.

"I'm not going to allow my child to be transferred out of district," Melissa said during the public-comment portion of the meeting, describing a child with an Individualized Education Program and frequent behavior incidents that have led to multiple pickups and a three-day out-of-school suspension. She said district staff had discussed placing her son in a life-skills classroom or transferring him to another district (Brewer or Belgrade), which would require long daily van rides.

Board members and administrators heard that the child has been evaluated by a behavioral-health provider and that the provider recommended an 8-by-8 padded seclusion or "safe" room to help the child de-escalate and return to the general-education classroom. The parent said she was told an out-of-district placement could cost about $50,000 a year for one child, whereas constructing a shared isolation room might cost roughly $1,000.

In her account, Melissa said the district had promised contracted behavioral-health partners (BHPs) to support her son and that billing/contracting issues complicated the rollout of those services. She described repeated classroom incidents, staff responses, and what she called inconsistent follow-through on supports: "They told me Jackson was chosen to have an assigned BHP... then I had to go and pick Jackson up for behavior and the BH data analysis actually explained to me Jackson's insurance..."

Superintendent Lisa responded directly after the public comment, thanking the family for advocacy and promising staff would follow up quickly: "I will be speaking with [the special education director] again directly tomorrow. We'll address this again and we will get back in touch with you." She acknowledged transportation constraints and said administrators would continue to explore options that limit long out-of-district travel for young children.

Why it matters: The exchange highlighted a recurring local challenge—how small rural districts balance special-education costs, student safety and continuity of instruction. Parents emphasized that frequent early pickups can jeopardize employment and learning continuity, while officials must weigh expense, available staff and legal obligations under students' IEPs.

What the board heard and next steps: The parent presented specific requests and tradeoffs (local seclusion/safe room vs. costly out-of-district placement) and asked the board to confirm the district's commitment to in-district solutions. The superintendent said she would consult with the special-education director and report back to the family in short order. The board did not take a formal vote on an action item during the meeting related to this case.

Clarifying details extracted from the meeting: - The parent said a clinician recommended an approximately 8-by-8 padded seclusion room as part of a behavior plan. (statement by Melissa) - The parent reported being told an out-of-district placement could cost about $50,000 per year compared with about $1,000 to install a shared isolation room; these figures were presented by the parent as district estimates and not independently verified at the meeting.

The board's stated follow-up was administrative: staff committed to reviewing the case, coordinating with the special-education director and returning to the family with more information.