Syracuse, NY: K-2 seeing "rise in special education students"
- 11 minutes ago
- 1 min read
Feb 20, 2026, Syracuse.com: Syracuse schools plan to add 57 new special ed positions in 2027 budget
The Syracuse City School District plans to prioritize student support in next years budget by increasing the number of special education and English as a New Language (ENL) positions.
The district released its preliminary budget on Feb. 11. The proposed 2026-27 school year budget is about $640 million, up almost $20 million from the year before.
The budget proposes 57 new jobs for special education. This breaks down to 40 teaching assistants, six therapists, six new elementary teachers, three middle school teachers and two physical therapists.
SCSD Chief Financial Officer Michael Puntschenko said that earlier grade levels like kindergarten, first grade and second grade classes are seeing a rise in special education students. He believes this is a result of the Covid lockdown that kept young children out of pre-K and kindergarten. . . .
The increase to pay teaching assistants will cost $2 million, which includes salaries for new positions as well as any raises current assistants may receive. Overall, the special education department will see a $7 million increase. . . .
Comments