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Board flags rising special-education costs; purchasing journal shows $492,655 under special ed
Summary
Board review of the purchasing journal highlights $492,655 recorded under special education and administrators warned special-education costs and out-of-district tuition continue to push expenditures higher, with out-of-district tuition projected to increase by $2.7 million.
During the purchasing-journal review, a board member (Speaker 5) pointed to $492,655 listed under the district's special-education code and asked whether that figure represented recurring monthly costs.
Speaker 3 cautioned that the purchasing-journal line does not represent a single month's expenses because purchase orders can cover longer periods. "Now you can't look at that as an average per month because last month, they may have done 10 purchase orders that cover through the end of the year," Speaker 3 said. He also reiterated the administration's projection that out-of-district tuition is expected to increase by about $2,700,000 and that special-education spending remains a central cost driver in next year's budget.
Separately, a $50,000 allocation to Preferred Behavioral Health was discussed as an account to be used for 'fit to return' psychological evaluations and related services billed as needed. Board members asked for clarifications about the purchasing journal and the scope of out-of-district placements.
