Board approves $1.53 million transfer to cover special-education contracted services

The Timberlane Regional School District school board approved a $1,531,494.38 intra-budget transfer on Nov. 20 to cover special-education contracted services, allowing the district to pay outstanding invoices for contracted clinicians and service providers.

Administration presented the request saying the transfer would exhaust the funding set aside for open and vacant special-education salary lines. "I am respectfully requesting a transfer of $1,531,494.38. That would exhaust all of the open and vacant positions that we have, for this school year in special education," the requester said, explaining the move was necessary to continue paying contract invoices while the district projects an approximately $2,000,000 deficit in SPED services even after the transfer.

Board members debated whether to continue posting those positions and try to hire in-house. One board member asked, "If we had these employees in house, it would be approximately $750,000," characterizing in-house staffing as substantially less costly; administration and other board members warned that hiring challenges, contractual constraints, and benefit costs make that assertion uncertain.

After discussion, Jack moved approval of the transfer; Shauna seconded. The motion passed (vote recorded as in favor; exact roll-call numbers not provided in the record). Administration said the transfer is intended as an interim step while the district continues to pursue hiring and contract strategies to control long-term SPED costs.

Next steps: the administration will monitor SPED expenditures and return to the board with further updates on hiring efforts and the remaining projected shortfall.