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Board sets guidelines for preschool and special‑education tuition, approves $75,000 cap for out‑of‑district one‑on‑one support
Summary
After extended discussion of tuition lines and service billing, Lisbon’s board approved a structure for preschool/nonresident tuition and set a not‑to‑exceed $75,000 fee cap for out‑of‑district one‑on‑one adult support when sending districts cannot provide staff.
Lisbon School District trustees spent a lengthy portion of their June 22 meeting debating how to structure tuition and related fees for preschool and for nonresident special‑education students who require related services.
Administration presented a draft fee schedule: a nonresident preschool cap set earlier (up to $5,000) and proposed special‑education tuition derived from per‑pupil expenditure calculations. For related services provided a la carte — occupational, physical and speech therapy — administrators proposed hourly rates in line with current contractor charges (examples discussed included $140 per hour for therapy services and higher contractor BCBA rates). For one‑on‑one adult support in cases where a sending district cannot provide staff, administration proposed calculating a coverage amount that includes top pay for an educational assistant, a markup for insurance and payroll overhead, plus the estimated family health‑insurance cost.
Board members debated whether to publish a flat number or an equation, and several voiced concern that a low fee would invite an influx of sending districts. After extensive discussion of benefit costs, unemployment and insurance implications, the board settled on a not‑to‑exceed figure for one‑on‑one adult support of $75,000 for the coming school year. The motion to set that cap passed unanimously after a motion by a board member and a second by Jenny.
Administrators said the one‑on‑one figure is intended to cover salary, benefits and other employer costs if the district must hire a full‑time adult for a nonresident student; they also said the schedule should be revisited annually (board members suggested an annual January review) to reflect changing pay scales and insurance premiums.
The board also approved language requiring, whenever possible, that sending districts provide their own staff for one‑on‑one supports; the fee applies only if the sending town cannot meet staffing obligations.
