Nahant to dip into reserve fund to cover special ed costs

NAHANT – The Advisory and Finance Committee unanimously app-roved taking $30,000 from the town’s reserve fund to cover half of the recent special-education expenses incurred by the schools.Superintendent Philip Devaux stressed Monday that these costs were “completely separate” to the proposed $260,000 override for next year but that it nevertheless illustrates the impact of state-mandated special-education services.”They are two different fiscal years,” Devaux explained when asked whether the request would alter the override request. “This allows us to conclude fiscal year 2011 with a balanced budget.”As for next year, Devaux said that despite a June 25 Special Election called by the selectmen to vote on the override – which passed the April 30 Town Meeting but lost at the ballot the same day – the schools anticipate using the budget approved in the event that the override did not pass.”The reality is that it lost,” Devaux said in relation to the previous override election. He explained that contract obligations required him to inform teachers and staff members on May 15 whether they would return next year and that most who expect to be laid off are currently searching for new jobs. “People will be collecting unemployment before the ballots have been cast.”Devaux told the committee that the $30,000 request was necessitated to help cover half the total of $60,000 needed for the 45-day testing and evaluation of elementary- and middle-school students in the district. He explained that the testing is common procedure when a child is evaluated for special needs and formulating an individual education plan (the plan that outlines how to best educate the child). Costs include testing, transportation and, often, consultations with learning experts, physicians and/or mental health experts, he said. Although the superintendent said the testing costs a minimum of $10,000 per student, it usually saves the school money because it more accurately identifies the student’s needs.”Parents typically want more than schools can give,” Devaux explained. “Almost all the time, those evaluations benefit us. It gives us data rather than aspirations.”The override proposed for next year includes funds to meet the two students’ needs, Devaux said, and the testing only occurs every three years unless prompted by a unique incident.Committee Chair Joyce Maroney said after the meeting that the decision was an appropriate use of the reserve fund.”This is exactly what the reserve fund is there for,” she said. The town annually has allocated $75,000 to meet unforeseen requests from all town departments, Maroney explained, and unspent money is returned to the general fund. “As we always do, we evaluate the requests and alternatives to funding and we were in unanimous agreement that we could address this through the fund.”