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Special‑education enrollment and out‑of‑district tuition drive rising costs, district official says
Summary
Marlington Local officials reported 227 students on individualized education programs (13% of enrollment), growing preschool and 504 caseloads, and substantial out‑of‑district tuition bills — with district leaders urging careful budgeting as placements and therapy costs rise.
Mr. Evanich, who presented the district’s special education update at the June 25 work session, said Marlington’s May enrollment totaled 1,755 students and 227 students were served on IEPs, roughly 13% of the student body. “Our most recent May enrollment, we had 1,755 students. Of those students, 227 are on an IEP at this time, which is about 13%,” he said.
He outlined placements and costs the district pays when students attend specialized programs outside Marlington. Typical per‑student tuition rates reported were $34,920 at the Stark County Learning Center (general program) and $51,840 for the autism program. Educational Alternatives’ behavior program averaged $49,140 per pupil and its autism program $65,340; one placement at Shipley (for students with acute mental‑health needs) was listed at $27,900. In sum, Mr. Evanich said the district’s direct tuition payments for out‑of‑district placements totaled roughly $578,340 last year; related therapy costs (speech, occupational or physical therapy) were estimated at $6,000–$10,000 per student.
Evanich said the district also manages scholarship cases and homeschooled students on IEPs: 11 students are using the John Peterson/autism scholarship and three homeschooled students currently have active IEPs that the district must maintain and report. He explained that scholarship dollars are handled through a foundation account and not billed directly to the district, though the district still must maintain IEPs and ETRs and submit them to the scholarship portal.
The presentation flagged a notable increase in preschoolers entering kindergarten with special‑education needs: 25 preschool students will enter kindergarten next year with IEPs, up from 11 the previous year. Those increases required the district to open or expand on‑site specialized units: multi‑handicap units and cross‑categorical units were described at Lexington Elementary and other buildings. Evanich said the district added staff — an additional teacher and two classroom aides — to support the new cross‑categorical kindergarten/first grade cohort.
The district also reported a rapid rise in Section 504 accommodation plans, which require non‑IEP accommodations but do not carry earmarked state funding. Evanich provided building counts: Lexington 20; Marorrow 15; Washington 18; the middle school 48; and the high school 70 — a total of 171 students on 504 plans in addition to students served under IEPs. He noted that 504s typically receive no additional state dollars and that accommodations are implemented by classroom teachers and aides, supported by intervention specialists.
Board members questioned the sources of the increase and how evaluations are initiated; Evanich said parents, teachers or doctors can prompt a 504 or an ETR/IEP evaluation and that parents must provide consent for evaluations. He also described the state audit process: Marlington is scheduled for a special‑education audit in the 2028–29 window to review IEP and ETR compliance.
The presentation closed with the district’s stated aim to educate students in the least‑restrictive environment possible, emphasizing transition plans for students placed in county or regional centers when appropriate.
