While working through inspecting different sections of the superintendent’s proposed 2016-17 budget, the Board of Education focused on the pupil personnel, special education, and health budgets as part of its meeting on Thursday, January 7.

Superintendent of Schools Joseph V. Erardi, Jr, said the pupil personnel budget was influenced by former director Julie Haggard, who has taken a position in another district.

Supervisors of Special Education Maureen Hall and Catherine Goralski, central office staffer Bonnie DeLorenzo, District Nursing Supervisor Ann Dalton, and Human Resources Coordinator Suzanne D’Eramo helped present the budget information to the board.

The 2016-17 special education services spending proposal is $9,759,868, 10.40 percent more than the current budget, and represents costs for the director of pupil services office, professional education services, out-of-district special education, home bound and school tutors, the Gifted and Talented Education Services (GATES), special education services, extended year services, pre-kindergarten, and the district’s transitional program in the proposed budget.

The pupil personnel proposed budget is $3,376,383, representing an 8.72 percent increase over the current year, and provides guidance services, health and medical services, social workers, substance abuse counselors, and psychological services, according to the proposed budget.

Board of Education Vice Chair Michelle Ku began questioning the presenters by addressing a statewide trend she said she had read about of special education needs increasing while total enrollment is decreasing. Ms Ku asked if Newtown reflects the statewide trend she referenced, and if the cost per student has risen.

In the Superintendent’s Requested Operational Plan 2016-17, Ms Ku pointed out a graph.

“You can see our costs have gone up over the years.”

For the past three years, Ms Goralski said, the district has seen a six percent increase each year in the number of students identified for special education.

Dr Erardi said while most towns are experiencing an “up tick,” Newtown has an “extraordinary up tick at the high school.” Having three to five students identified for the first time each year at the high school level, Dr Erardi said, would be common, but Newtown has had roughly 30 or more students identified each year.

“That’s a piece that is unique to Newtown,” said Dr Erardi, adding that anxiety appears to be an influence.

Saying she is hearing the numbers and increases, school board Secretary Debbie Leidlein said, “I’m still trying to figure out how we’ve gone up [roughly] $4 million in the last ten years, astoundingly more than any other program, yet with a decrease in enrollment. It just still is not making sense…What can we do?”

Ms Leidlein asked how to address student need while looking at other efforts to alleviate the burden on the community.

A number of things, Dr Erardi said, “need to be addressed” and discussed with the future director of pupil personnel. Those include a program that could offer an optimal environment for teaching and learning while keeping students in the district, and further efforts to address the effect grants have had on the district’s per pupil cost and state reimbursement for special education costs.

Ways to decrease costs suggested by the presenters included providing services for students in district, providing early interventions, and providing information to parents and the community about all of the resources that are available in the community.

Naming a number of supports offered in schools and questioning whether they work together to address the “real problem,” school board member Kathy Hamilton said, “I feel like we are not getting to the solution. I don’t know if there is a specific solution.”

Dr Erardi’s spending proposal reflects a 3.87 percent increase in spending over the $71,587,946 2015-16 budget. The proposed 2016-17 budget is $74,361,623.

The Board of Education is set to continue inspecting the proposed 2016-17 spending plan at budget workshop meetings until a scheduled February 4 meeting, when the board is set to adopt the budget. The proposed spending plan will then go before the Board of Finance and the Legislative Council for review and adoption before heading to referendum in April.