Special-education out-of-district placements drive a major budget increase; district expects partial state reimbursement
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Summary
Administrators told the Newington Board of Education Feb. 12 that special-education tuition and contracted services will increase substantially in next year's budget because of out-of-district placements; the district expects to recoup a portion under the state's excess-cost program.
Special-education tuition and contracted services are a principal driver of the Newington School District's proposed operating budget increase, administrators told the board at its Feb. 12 meeting.
Why it matters: The district forecasts a roughly $1 million aggregate increase in tuition-related accounts for next year, largely driven by students placed in out-of-district settings. The board was told that many of those placements are eligible for partial state reimbursement under Connecticut's excess-cost program, but the district must front the tuition costs.
Details from staff: Lou and special-education leaders said the district currently has about 42 students in out-of-district placements. Those cases have high per-student costs; locally placed cases that exceed approximately $95,000 become eligible for excess-cost reimbursement, and state rules for state-placed students use a different threshold (the transcript cites an example threshold near $28,500 for state-placed students). Staff estimated the district would recover roughly 70% of eligible excess costs and said the district expects about $1.5 million to $1.6 million in excess-cost reimbursement next year.
Net budget impact: Administrators presented a forecast showing gross out-of-district tuition near $4.4million to $5.0million (netting varies by account classification), with an estimated excess-cost offset of roughly $1.5million. The remainder will be an operating cost the district must carry.
Contracted services and procedural changes: The special-education presentation also noted a $400,000 addition to the operating budget for services previously paid partially from ESSER grants, and about $300,000 in contracted services needed when the district cannot recruit staff for specialized roles. Staff said the district is taking steps to bring some contracted evaluation work in-house (a plan that would increase salary costs but reduce contract expense over time).
Board follow-up requests: Members asked for further breakdowns—average per-student costs for out-of-district placements, the composition of the $400,000 ESSER-funded items returning to the operating budget, and detail on magnet-school special-education charges. Staff agreed to provide the requested line-item detail for the board's review before adoption.