School Administrative Unit #19 · 11 School Street · Goffstown, NH 03045 · Tel: 603-497-4818 · Fax: 603-497-8425

Of all the services provided to our town’s students, perhaps the most diverse fall under the category of Special Education. Governed by legislation rooted in the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act  (IDEA) the face of Special Education has changed significantly over the last 40 years as society and the law has evolved.

What does Special Education programming look like in Goffstown? Our district currently has 478 identified students, which translates to about 16% of our student population. These individuals cover a wide spectrum of needs including mobility issues, ADD, Anxiety disorders, hearing impairment, Autism, and Traumatic Brain Injury, or learning disabilities to name just a few. Methods to provide the services needed to support their education vary as greatly as the needs to be addressed. Some students will need in class support, others tutoring in a specific content area, while others may require one to one assistance for the full day along with intensive speech services, academic supports, and full health care needs. Students with more intensive needs require placement in specializing day facilities, while those with extreme cases will require residential care.

Federal and State laws, consisting of over 500 pages of regulations, are a deciding factor in how these programs are administered. By law, Special Education programming and services are required to be provided by school districts for all eligible students between the age of 3 and 21 years old. The process begins by completing a referral to identify the areas of concern.  After evaluations are completed, the Special Education Team determines if a disability (as identified in state and federal law) exists.  If one does, the Team develops an Individualized Educational Plan (IEP) for the student. This plan identifies what specific goals that the student will work on, as well as where and how the services will be implemented.

IEP’s are done yearly, so the services and staffing of the district are adjusted each year according to a student’s changing needs. Since school budgets are developed almost one year ahead of the implementation of an IEP, we are often making an educated guess on the services and programs that a student may need the following year when a new IEP is being implemented. This lapse in time can often create a scenario where what was budgeted during the budget process is no longer what is needed and/or additional things are needed that are not budgeted.

 

From a financial perspective, Special Education programming currently amounts to almost 21% of our school budget.  Included in this is transportation, staffing, necessary materials or equipment, consultants as required and tuition to out of district placements. When the IDEA law went into effect, the federal government promised to provide 40 percent of the costs of these additional services. However, the current rate of reimbursement is approximately only 18 percent.  The rest of the cost is provided through the budget of the local school district.