Special Education Report

Date:  December 28, 2024

To:  RSU #74 Board of Directors

From:  Grace Cram, Special Education Director

Re:  Board Report for January, 2025

As the month of December comes to a close, we start developing next year's budget.  I would like to discuss the Out of District Placement Budget line for the 2025-2026 School Year.  

Currently there are 5 students that attend a Special Purpose Private School (SPPS), which is funded through the Out of District Placement Budget Line.  RSU#74 currently has 1 student that attends the Glenn Stratton Learning Center on the Goodwill Hinckley Campus, 1 student that attends the Woodfords Program in Waterville and 3 students that attends the Central Maine Learning Center Program in Belgrade.  We are also transporting 2 students (1 to Glenn Stratton and 1 to Central Maine Learning Center) that are McKinney Vento Students at this time so other districts are currently responsible for the tuition and Seeds Money for them to attend the SPPS.  When we look at the incoming kindergarten students that we currently know about we have 3 students that attend a SPPS Preschool.  This means that the number of students who attend a SPPS could double (2 McKinney Vento Students and 3 incoming kindergarten students).  RSU#74 has the potential of 10 students requiring a SPPS placement for the coming year.   

RSU#74 budgeted $300,000 in the regular special education budget and another $20,000 in the local entitlement budget this current budget year.  This line is close. The state recommends that we increase this budget line by 3% to account for the increases of services without an increase in students.  My recommendation to the board for the out of district budget line for the 2025-2026 school year would be $700,000, without major tuition increases this should allow us to support the current and potential students, if they all become the responsibility of RSU#74.  This amount does not allow for any other student to attend a SPPS, if all potential students become the responsibility of RSU#74.  

Respectfully Submitted,

Grace Cram