Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Special Education topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Nashoba plans multi-school realignment of special-education programs to keep services in-district
Summary
District staff presented a budget-neutral plan to relocate and consolidate special-education programs: move LEAP (language-based) to Bolton and RISE (emotional/behavioral) to Stow, consolidate staff resources, and hold family meetings and training during the transition.
The Nashoba Regional School Committee heard a detailed presentation April 29 from Director of Student Services Ryan Demanche proposing a districtwide reorganization of specialized programs to expand in-district capacity and reduce out-of-district placements.
Demanche described a plan to relocate the LEAP language-based program to Bolton (serving grades 3–8) and consolidate the RISE program with Connections in Stow (serving K–8) to create more continuous programming, shared staffing and instructional supports, and improved facility alignment. "Right now, all these changes are budget neutral," Demanche said, adding that the district will monitor referrals and staffing needs as the transitions proceed.
Demanche and other administrators said the moves respond to recent increases in students needing more intensive, early-grade services, and they argued the relocations would allow staff to share expertise (BCBA support, social work, instructional assistants) and reduce the need for out-of-district placements. District leaders emphasized individualized family planning: staff have contacted affected families, are scheduling team meetings and tours of receiving classrooms, and plan targeted training for host-building staff over the summer.
Operational details: the reorganization will not increase net headcount immediately, though the district said it may recommend additional staff later if student referrals rise; the administration intends to post an assistant principal position at Center School to cover administrative responsibilities. The district will continue to refine the model with outside consultants and family feedback.
Next steps: administrators will continue family-team meetings, provide building-level training, and report enrollment and referral changes to the School Committee as programs transition ahead of the 2026–27 school year.
