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Special education official reviews five years of programs and credits in-district growth for reducing out-of-district placements
Summary
Mr. Rooney gave a five-year overview of special education services, describing new programs (unified academics, adaptive PE, pre-K), improved MaineCare reimbursement capture, and a decline in costly out-of-district placements driven by expanded in-district options.
Mr. Rooney, introduced by the board as the presenter for special services, summarized five years of the district27s special education work and highlighted programs intended to keep students in-district and improve outcomes. "If we strengthen programming, we reduce out-of-district placements," he said, pointing to a recent drop in placements and a projected count of about 12 for next year absent recent in-moves.
The presentation laid out data trends and a noted anomaly tied to pre-K enrollment counts: three-year-old students counted quarterly can inflate the district27s special-education percentage on an October snapshot. Rooney said adjusting for those pre-K counts puts the district at or below the state identification rate. He described how unified academics at Marshwood High pairs life-skills students with typical peers for shared instruction, producing both academic credit for the life-skills students and elective credit for peers.
Rooney credited staff and building administrators for starting and expanding co-teaching (co-teaching/co-teaching model) and adaptive physical education. He said unified sports (now offered from grade 4 through 12) and an adaptive PE certification partnership with UNH have helped engagement and health outcomes for students with disabilities. He also described career-pathway expansions resulting from extending service ages to 22 and noted collaborations that include Rollinsford and other nearby districts.
On funding, Rooney said the district previously missed roughly $45,000 annually in MaineCare reimbursements for related services; after administrative changes the district began capturing eligible section 65 and section 68 reimbursements. He described the work required of social workers, case managers and BHPs to align documentation for billing and said expanding reimbursement for BCBA services would take additional planning.
Rooney closed by noting a federal compliance review that rated the district near the top and required fewer than 10 corrective items, all addressed. He invited the board to request more detailed follow-up presentations on specific topics.
The board did not take formal action on the presentation; members asked follow-up questions about counts, staffing and reimbursement practices. The district will continue work on BCBA reimbursement and on clarifying pre-K reporting methods that affect identification-rate calculations.
