New Haven, CT: SPED is 25 percent of the school budget

Jan 14, 2026, New Haven Register: Wilton schools propose $3.5M budget increase, with addition of 7.6 new positions 

https://www.nhregister.com/news/article/wilton-schools-propose-3-5m-budget-increase-21293177.php 

The school district's per-pupil-spending remains the lowest among similar Fairfield County schools, which had one Board of Education member wondering if that's a good thing.

"Is that something we should start worrying about?" Wilton Board of Education member Pam Ely asked.

"I'm not worried about it," Superintendent Kevin Smith replied during a board meeting on Jan. 8. "It's a choice."

The district's relatively low spending per student, when compared to similar communities, has allowed Wilton schools to avoid large year-over-year- increases to the school budget. 

At the Jan. 8 meeting, Smith presented his proposed budget for the 2026-27 school year. It calls for a total bottom line of $100.46 million, an increase of $3.5 million, or 3.6%, over the current fiscal year. 

Smith said the percentage increase is below the budget requests in Darien, Weston, New Canaan and Westport, all of which are part of the same "district reference groups," a classification system that groups school districts based on similarities in the socioeconomic status of their students.

Among that group, Wilton is spending the least per student, at $24,987. Weston schools spend the most per student, at $28,973. . . . .

Another area where the school district is finding savings is in special education. Smith said more special education students are staying inside Wilton schools, as opposed to attending specialized outside facilities, an often expensive proposition.

“We believe very strongly that we can do a better job of educating the vast majority of our students here than many of the out-of-district placement schools," Smith said. "As important, we believe our students deserve to be educated here.”

The special education department represents 25% of the total school budget and includes just over 16% of the total student body.

Smith said school leaders have created in-district special education programs in recent years to curb the cost of sending students to out-of-district facilities.

The tuition for out-of-district centers ranges from $76,000 to $160,000 on average, per student, he said. Per-pupil expenses for a student at Wilton's in-house Genesis program, on the other hand, average about $41,317. That figure is $49,000 at Community Steps, another special education program housed within Wilton schools.

“So the magnitude of cost avoidance per child is pretty enormous,” Smith said. . . .