Panel schedules statewide listening sessions, asks for district-level data on special education costs

The select committee on special education concluded its second meeting by committing to a series of public listening sessions and targeted data requests aimed at diagnosing recent spikes in special-education costs.

The chair said the panel will hold listening sessions in Southern, Eastern, Northwest Connecticut and Hartford (Hartford will include a Zoom option) during the first two weeks of February to hear directly from families, providers and district staff. Committee leadership also asked OLR, OFA and SDE to assemble a packet of follow-up materials for members that includes: district-level tier assignments for the excess-cost grant; historical and current provider rates; a breakdown of eligible excess-cost submissions (outplacement vs in-district services); an interstate comparison of funding approaches; and an inventory of state and stakeholder entities that work on special education.

"We'd like to meet the community where they are," the chair said while announcing the schedule and a plan to circulate requested data. Lawmakers said they want the information to understand whether cost pressures stem from more students being identified, higher unit costs for services, inflation, or rate increases by private providers. OFA and OLR committed to provide the requested data and to present additional findings at upcoming committee meetings.

The committee set its next meeting for Wednesday at 11 a.m. to take up the task force report and expected to distribute the compiled data packet to members ahead of further deliberations.