Select Board authorizes up to $250,000 withdrawal from special‑education stabilization fund

The Bedford Select Board voted unanimously on June 15 to allow an up to $250,000 withdrawal from the school department’s special‑education stabilization fund to close out fiscal 2026.

Superintendent Cliff Trong explained that the district budget had planned to rely on the stabilization fund as a buffer and that recent developments increased the need. "We are asking for an up to $250,000 withdrawal from the stabilization fund to close out this fiscal year," Trong said, citing an increase in out‑of‑district placements (budgeted placeholders increased from six to nine) and uncertainty over state reimbursements such as the circuit‑breaker transportation reimbursement.

Trong noted the current balance of the fund is $950,000 and that the school committee approved the withdrawal on June 9, after consultation with the finance committee. Finance‑committee members present said there were no “red flags” and supported the consultation. Board members probed whether the fund would become an adjunct to the operating budget or remain a contingency; the superintendent characterized this year as an extraordinary year driven by contract market adjustments and unpredictable placements and said the fund is intended as a buffer rather than a recurring revenue source.

Why this matters: Special‑education placements can be volatile and costly; use of the stabilization fund is a budgetary tool to prevent midyear deficits while preserving transparency about expected revenues and the town’s long‑term fiscal posture.

What’s next: The board approved the transfer; staff will reflect the withdrawal in year‑end accounting and continue monitoring placements and state funding prospects for FY27.