A member of the Board of Finance May 26 suggested to the Board of Education that it hire a consultant to watch over its special education offerings to give some oversight.
Jessica Mancini, a finance board member who said she was speaking as a member of the public and not as an envoy from her board, told school board members some oversight could maximize the value for the dollar in special education.
She made it clear it was not an attack on special education or its budget.
“It’s making sure we are providing the best possible education and being efficient with the taxpayers’ money,” Mancini said. “The only person that can do that is a consultant that understands special education and therefore can guide us on best practices and making sure we’re going in the right direction.”
Special education accounts for $11.4 million of the overall $86-million education budget. About 9% of the 5,162 students in Ridgefield, or 487 students, participate in special education.
Mancini pointed out that a single contract, for autism consulting services, amounts to more than $1 million a year.
“We have a $1-million contract with only two people signing off on it,” Mancini said, referring to one signature each from the school district and the consulting firm. “There needs to be oversight.”
School officials were not obligated to remark on Mancini’s comments, made during the public comment portion of the meeting. However, board Vice Chairman Christopher Murray said the oversight she suggests is not necessary. He said she has a superficial understanding of special education costs.
“The clear implication of an oversight entity is to cut cost. How does that actually help the special education community, particularly those parents seeking additional services? Such an entity puts additional services at risk, if for no other reason than the cost of hiring an additional layer of oversight,” Murray said in a statement.
Mancini is not a special education parent. Others who spoke during the public portion of the meeting described themselves as parents of special education children.
Some praised the special education program, while others said improvement is needed. Karen Berasi, the director of pupil services, gave an overview of how the program has grown over the past several years and introduced members of its staff.
“During Tuesday’s discussion of the RISE [Ridgefield Intensive Special Education] program, several parents spoke in praise of Ridgefield’s services, many indicating they moved to Ridgefield because of its good reputation for special education,” Murray said.
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