(UK) Weston plans for SPED school; currently outplacement costs for 70 kids is $660K (US dollars)

BBC News: School bid for special needs pupils in Weston https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-somerset-45752057 A new school for pupils with social, emotional and mental health (SEMH) needs could be set up near Weston. North Somerset Council said there was a "lack of provision" locally and has applied for government funding. About 70 pupils travel "significant distances" to other schools but these are "not always of the quality" the council wants, a report said. The council plans a bid for government funding for the school, allowing it to reduce its school transport budget. The council currently spends up to £500,000 [$660,000 US dollars] every year on taking pupils from home to schools around the county. It has earmarked a site in Churchill, near Weston-super-Mare, which could be leased for a peppercorn rent, which is usually a nominal figure. The site is currently valued at £1m, [$1.3M US dollars] the Local Democracy Reporting Service added. … Plans for the new school comes after the authority was told it had to make improvements to its special educational needs provision following a damning report published by Ofsted and the Care and Quality Commission in July. …