Superintendent warns of funding and staffing gaps as state CDS proposal advances

Superintendent Jeremy Ray told the Biddeford School Committee on March 27 that meetings with the state Department of Education had highlighted unanswered questions about a proposed CDS (Children’s/Community Development Services) program and its funding model.

Ray said the district had been told there may be revolving funds and special allocations in the governor’s budget, but that the district did not yet know the application process, timelines or whether local match requirements would apply. "There's a gap between what they feel would be funding and what it would cost to run the program," he said, adding that the timing could be a problem if the bill lacks emergency status: implementation could come 90 days after the end of the legislative session, which could push start dates into October.

The superintendent emphasized operational challenges: hiring sizable numbers of therapists and special‑education staff, identifying and modifying space, clarifying how state billing revenue will be treated, and ensuring legal and payroll infrastructure to absorb additional employees. "I feel like the assumption that we got the other day is that, oh, yeah, like your current staff is just gonna kind of pick up some of these things," Ray said, adding that the district lacks capacity to absorb the workload without planning and new hires.

Committee members asked whether the district could delay participation or move more slowly; Ray said there is a four‑year phasing option but he prefers that the district be on the front end to help shape the process. Several trustees raised concerns about families’ first impressions if early services are unable to meet needs, stressing that a poor initial rollout could create conflicts among families and staff.

The board asked Ray to continue compiling the outstanding operational questions (transportation, hiring numbers, funding account mechanics) and to return with recommendations and options for oversight or committee review before committing to an implementation timeline.

Next steps: superintendent to continue dialogue with DOE, present a list of open mechanics/questions and propose next steps to the committee before firm commitments are made.