Stamford schools chief: special ed costs unsustainable

STAMFORD — Superintendent of Schools Earl Kim said special education costs, which account for about one-quarter of the district’s annual spending, are rising at “an unsustainable rate.”

During a presentation to the Board of Education’s fiscal committee Tuesday evening, Kim detailed the special education costs of his proposed 2017-18 operating budget. He also described a series of cost-management strategies the district is undertaking.

His $273.4 million overall proposal represents a 3.6 percent increase over the current budget. Special education accounts for about 23 percent of annual spending, the superintendent said.

But although special education enrollment has increased by about 500 students in the past four years, Kim said the primary driver of special education costs is out-of-district tuition, which grows by an average of 11 percent a year.

Read more: http://www.stamfordadvocate.com/local/article/Stamford-schools-chief-special-ed-costs-10898539.php