Special Education Report

August 26, 2024

To:  RSU #74 Board of Directors

From:  Grace Cram, Special Education Director

Re:  Board Report for September 2024

First I want to thank you for the support you have given the Special Education Department including the students over the previous year.  As I am preparing my introductions for new staff orientation day, I have 6 new Ed Techs that appear to be highly qualified and excited to join RSU#74.  These positions are not new positions, but are vacant positions from last year and vacancies created by Special Education  staff members transitioning to new positions in the district, Ed Techs resigning or retiring.  I would like to thank those staff members for working in the Special Education Department and wish them luck on their future endeavors.  

We currently have 138 students identified as requiring Special Education and one student that is in referral.  The Special Education Staff continue to work with school secretaries to review files of incoming students to determine if the student has existing Special Education needs that need to be met.  

We continue to contract with Waldo County Hospital to provide Speech and Language Services using telehealth and Gallant Therapy Services to provide Occupational Therapy Services in our schools to meet our related services needs on IEPs.  We do not have the need for Physical Therapy Services at this time.  

We also continue to work with Maine Behavioral Health to support the Social Emotional Needs of our students.  They are providing RSU#74 with some clinical counseling for our students. This is not a service that is on IEPs but is a very valuable service for our community especially for families with limited transportation.   

Last year, we contracted with BDA North to provide the district with one Behavioral Health Professional (BHP).  This year we are contracting with them to provide two BHPs in the district.  One will spend part of their time at Garret Schenck and the rest of their day at Carrabec Community School and the other BHP will spend the day at Carrabec Community School.  They are assigned to specific students based on the students' needs.  The agency does not bill RSU#74 for these services but bills MaineCare.  MaineCare submits the districts share which is roughly 38% of the total cost, to the Department of Education and this fee is taken from the districts quarterly subsidy payment, which they refer to as SEEDS Money.    In order to offset this cost, we have not filled two ed tech positions.  

Here’s to a great year! 

Respectfully Submitted,

Grace Cram