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Special services budget up 8% as district cites rising placements and tuition
Summary
The proposed special services budget would rise to about $60.4 million, driven by higher enrollment and tuition costs for out‑of‑district placements; the district reported about 3,200 students with active IEPs (23% classification) and 142 out‑of‑district placements.
The board heard that the district’s special services budget is proposed at $60,400,000 for 2026–27, an increase of roughly $4.5 million (about 8%) over the current year. The special services presenter said the increase is driven by student need: approximately 3,200 students have active individual education plans (about a 23% classification rate, above the state average of 15%), and the tuition budget is up an estimated 13.8, about $1.6 million, because both the number of out‑of‑district placements and tuition rates from private special‑education schools have risen.
The presenter noted 142 students were placed out of district and that the district is investing in more in‑district programming to reduce future placements over time. Board members pressed for unit‑cost details: the presenter said typical per‑pupil amounts vary widely, with general education averaging about $16,000, the most intensive in‑district programs costing about $75,000–$80,000 per pupil, and out‑of‑district tuition sometimes costing around $150,000 plus transportation.
