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RSU 23 special-education budget rises nearly 6.9% as district adds case manager and captures MaineCare billing
Summary
Special education director Heidi Butler told the board the special-education budget will increase approximately $253,940.75 (6.87%) to staff a Jamieson case manager for four-year-old students, to capture MaineCare billing for related services, and to realign educational technician positions across buildings.
Heidi Butler, RSU 23’s special education director, presented the FY27 special-education budget at the board’s budget workshop and said the line will increase by roughly $253,940.75, which she described as a 6.87% rise over the current year.
Butler said the budget increase funds a special-education case manager at Jamieson Elementary to serve incoming kindergarten-age students with intensive needs and to support a potential expansion to serve four-year-olds. She stressed the district’s goal of reducing wait lists and providing services earlier so students can participate with typically developing peers.
The director also said the district has increased MaineCare billing for related services (occupational therapy, physical therapy and speech) and is capturing those costs under special-education administration while offsetting some costs with generated revenue. Butler reported seven current out-of-district placements (K–8) and said tuition for such placements can range significantly.
On 504/ADA student services, Butler said the FY27 increase reflects expenses that were previously recorded in the special-education budget and now appear in the 504 line. The district is budgeting for a subscription to an EDMS/Acuity system to manage 504 paperwork and MaineCare billing and to provide annual training for coordinators (primarily school counselors).
Butler answered board questions about enrollment cadence (numbers shift weekly) and said the district does not currently have high-school out-of-district students; K–8 out-of-district placement counts were given as seven at the time of the meeting.
Next steps: the board will review detailed line items in subsequent budget sessions and consider the contingency allocation for out-of-district placements included in the district contingency.
