Out-of-district special education tuition is budgeted to reach $10.1 million, up 16 percent in a year

What happened

The cost of educating pupils the district places outside its own schools rises from $7,451,371 actually spent in 2024-25 to $8,663,878 in the revised 2025-26 budget and $10,087,681 proposed for 2026-27, an increase of about 16 percent in a single year and 35 percent in two. In June the board approved out-of-district placements for 52 pupils for the coming year plus 46 for the summer programme. Over the same period the number of pupils in private placements rises from 53 to 78 on the district's own enrolment filings, while total enrolment is broadly flat at about 6,400. This line and employee benefits, which jump to 38.4 percent of salaries, are the two costs behind both the levy rise and the staff reductions.

Why it matters to families

Every dollar of out-of-district tuition is a dollar the district spends on a child it cannot serve in its own buildings, and it is rising far faster than the budget. For families of pupils with disabilities it is also the measure of how often the district places outward rather than building capacity at home.

The evidence

The 2026-27 budget filing records 'Undistributed Expenditures-Instruction (Tuition) 11-000-100-XXX 7,451,371 8,663,878 10,087,681'.

The source