Bristol, CT: 24 of 56 of the newly registered students have special needs
CT
Although the special education budget in total is still under budget, the schools’ budget director warned that the account for the outplacement of students to private facilities is already more than million dollars in the red.
“Our overall special education (account) is still below budget,” the Bristol Public Schools’ director of finance Jodi Bond, told the Board of Finance at its meeting on Tuesday. “The private outplaced tuition line is currently over by $1.4 million.”
At that pace, Bond continued, “Most likely this year, again, special education will go over budget. We’re going to keep a close eye on that.”
In the last fiscal year that ended June 30, special education expenses left the Board of Education in a deficit as well with the city having to cover the shortfall.
“We did have a large influx of new students this past year in the month of September, who came in with IEPs (individual education plans for special education), so we required a lot of services,” Bold explained to the Board of Finance. . . .
Finance board member Mark Petersen clearly was frustrated with the news from the schools. “I’m concerned that it’s so early in the year and we’re already $1.4 million over.”
But, Mayor Ellen Zoppo-Sassu defended the schools’ situation. “I don’t think there’s much we can do at this point. The students are coming in with IEPs.” . . .
“(The students coming to Bristol are) being evaluated,” said the mayor. “If they can be put into different in-district programs, they are. But the fact of the matter is the influx has a high level of numbers (of students with special needs). It would be the same discussion if we were talking about utility bills right now. There’s a certain element of unknown and there’s not much we can do.”
“That’s true,” said Petersen. However, he added, “Is there a place where we can scale back and try to chip away at a $1.4 million (deficit). I’m just concerned that (school officials will) see another line that says there’s $1.9 million left to spend, and they’ll spend up to $1.9 million, not taking into, taking into consideration they have got to cover the $1.4 million in the special ed department.” . . .
Board of Finance vice-chair Marie O’Brien also defended the situation that the Bristol education department finds itself in. “The problem truly is how do you manage those expenses when you have students who need services that are unpredictable at times? And even as successful as you are in educating them, they can take turns that do require $50,000 more in professional services.”
O’Brien added, “We’re all hoping that this January report by this statewide blue ribbon commission on special education will have some key recommendations that the government and the legislature can support to sort of equalize the burden across our cities because this is all based on the property tax system in the state of Connecticut and puts a burden, an extra burden on Bristol versus a Stamford or a Greenwich, or even a Hartford or a New London.”
Bond explained the private institution placements also have been necessary because “all of our in-district classrooms for those with special needs are capped out. Probably, we have to open up new classrooms, which requires more staffing; but that’s a much more reduced cost than outplacing the students. It’s just a spacing issue also. Once Edgewood Pre-K opens it’ll create all that extra space over at Greene-Hills (School).” . . .
Bond also reported to the finance board that during the month of September, “41%, which is 24 of 56, of the newly registered students were identified as students with special education programming needs at the time of registration.”
Those numbers surprised some finance board members.
“As a lay person sitting here,” Peterson said, “that’s almost one of every two people comes in has special ed (needs). I find that remarkably high.”
Zoppo-Sassu explained, “I do believe that we are considering an upgrade community for several of the urban districts in the area, just based on anecdotal information that I see and talking to people. (Officials in the special education department for Bristol have) stated that (they) get phone calls from other districts requesting to send a student to one of our programs, and right now we have to turn them away, obviously. We just don’t have the space for them, but it does say a lot about our programs, because we do an excellent job.”. . .
Comments