Jefferson County cites 39% rise in preschool special-education enrollment and proposes rate changes for related services

Tim Ruetten, Jefferson County's Community Services Director, told the Health & Human Services Committee on May 26 that the county's Preschool Special Education Program has seen a 39% increase in student enrollment since 2021 and that about 80% of children receive related services while 20% participate in center-based programs.

Ruetten said the county has expanded the program budget to meet rising demand and rising costs. He reported that annual payments for services grew from $3,786,896.02 in 2021 to $6,343,869.15 in 2025 and that transportation expenditures more than doubled in the same period. The county has implemented a McGuinness Full-Service Medicaid Module and projects Medicaid-related revenue recovery exceeding $500,000 for 2026. Ruetten also noted NYSED-approved evaluation-rate increases of 1% in July 2021 and 5% in July 2024.

County staff recommended aligning county rates with state guidance by proposing a 5% increase in related-services rates, a 4% rural/underserved modifier, and elimination of separate assistant rate structures to match Department of Health Early Intervention Program guidelines. Tim Ruetten framed the proposal as intended to preserve services in the least restrictive environment while responding to provider capacity challenges.

At the start of the meeting, Eric Harris, co-owner of Building Blocks SLP, OT & PT Family Services, told the committee his firm has not seen rate increases since it began providing preschool-related services in 2005, said demand has grown beyond the number of approved providers, and argued that a 15% rate increase is needed to retain qualified therapists and manage administrative burdens.

The committee introduced and then agreed to sponsor a resolution authorizing agreements with New York State Department of Education-approved agencies for the provision of special-education services for preschool children with disabilities, and a separate resolution establishing rates for related services as presented by the administration. Legislator Christopher Boulio moved both measures; Legislator Robert Cantwell seconded the agency-agreements resolution, and Legislator Frances Calarco seconded the rate-resolution. The transcript records the committee's agreement but does not provide a roll-call vote tally.

Why it matters: The county's proposed rate adjustments aim to address a sustained increase in need and rising program costs; rates affect how readily providers can supply services and how quickly children receive evaluations and therapy.

Next steps: The committee sponsored the agreements and the rate-setting resolution at the May 26 meeting; implementation will depend on subsequent board approvals and administrative steps that were not detailed in the transcript.