N. Berwick, ME: $545,000 increase for SPED

May 23, 2018, North Berwick, ME, Fosters.com: MSAD 60 budget up 5.6% http://www.fosters.com/news/20180523/msad-60-budget-up-56 The School Administrative District 60 Board on Monday passed its budget for the 2018-19 school year, which will mean a higher-than-usual 5.6 percent increase over the previous year. … The upcoming school year’s budget was passed at $41,516,414, up from $39,825,820, an increase of $1,690,594. The largest line-item increases in the 2018-2019 budget compared to last year’s included an additional $685,538 in regular instruction, $348,714 in special education and $364,100 for student and staff support. … Connolly said the significant cost drivers for the upcoming year’s budget are special-ed staffing. Connolly said the district’s special-ed population has risen 9 percent, and the district is expecting 40 incoming kindergarten students who will need special-ed support of different kinds. Connolly said the staffing increases added $545,000 to the budget, which added to both the special-ed and student and staffing support line items. …