Danvers Schools Propose Special Education Funding Investment Benefits

DANVERS, MA — A proposed investment in special education programming and staffing to help stem the escalating cost of out-of-district placements was presented to the School Committee on Monday with officials proposing that $1.271 million in new investments could be a cost saving for the district with the retention of 14 students in the district each year who might have otherwise left.

Superintendent Dan Bauer stressed that the district is "obligated legally and morally to provide what's best for the students" in the presentation while arguing that "the ultimate goal is to keep our kids in town."

"We certainly know that if we are able to do that there are so many benefits for students to be here in town with the programs we can provide," Bauer said.

The presentation comes at the outset of the annual budget process and continues a discussion within the town and the district about how additional investments may not only help students but may also curb the out-of-district placement costs that take up an increasingly disproportionate amount of funding resources each year.

According to the district presentation, as of October, the district had 72 students being educated out of district because of special needs at a cost of $8.87 million annually. That represents 2.2 percent of students requiring 16.67 percent of budgeted resources. Bauer said the biggest "moving target" cost increases have come on the transportation side with that part making up $1.53 million of the $8.87 million and is growing at a faster rate than inflation.

He said the key to stemming the increases in students who require out-of-district placement each year involves parents having the confidence that the district has established programs in place to address their needs.

Officials shared some proposals on how investments in programs supporting autistic students, students with emotional needs and students with language-based needs could either help retain more students or prevent future students from needing to be schooled out of the district at town expense.

"Obviously, special education is an area of need — we know that," he said. "We drilled down deeper into what where we could invest — if we had the ability to do so — to build our programming."

Among the determinations is that an investment in four full-time staff positions and teacher aides in the area of autistic student support would cost about $432,000. But at $99,552 per student for out-of-district placements, those investments could, essentially, "pay for themselves" if the district either brings back or does not lose five students because of the increased programming.

Similar assessments were presented when adding support and curriculum programs for students who leave the district because of emotional or language-based learning needs.

"If we don't do anything," Bauer said, "if we just keep looking at where we're at, the (spending) number is just going to go up."

(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)