The 2010-2011 Special Education budget includes staffing, supplies and contractual services to provide a wide range of services to help students facing physical, mental and emotional challenges.
Highlights
The $34.2 million budget includes:
A
decrease in spending of about $680,000 from the final 2009-2010
budget (estimated at $34.8 million).
Secondary
tuition increase of 3.9 percent for fulltime students.
Services
for a projected 704 full-time students (down from 769 in 2009-2010).
Another 140 students are projected to receive itinerant services
(down from 150 in 2009-2010).
Cost-saving measures
Cost-cutting efforts include:
Classrooms
with small enrollments have been consolidated, allowing the closure
of six special education classrooms in the past two years, saving
about $72,000. In the coming school year, BOCES will again look to
combine special education classrooms with low enrollments to save
additional rental costs.
Staff
reductions will be considered in May, depending on district
enrollment in services.
Looking to the future
The Special Education Division has served a declining number of students since the 2005-2006 school year, and is consequently undergoing a comprehensive study to re-evaluate the division and re-position it to better serve the needs of districts. The study by AdvisorySolutions, an affiliate of the New York State School Boards Association, is examining all aspects of the division, including budget, staffing and program delivery models. A final report is expected in late spring.
Special Education Division budget details:
| Code/Description | 2010-2011 Proposed Staff (FTE) | 2008-2009 Actual Expenditures (dollars) | 2009-2010 Adopted Budget (dollars) | 2009-2010 Estimated Expenditures (dollars) | 2010-2011 Budget (dollars) |
| 150/Instructional Salaries | 344.43 | 18,614,947 | 17,907,950 | 17,856,240 | 17,061,965 |
| 160/Non-Instructional Salaries | 87 | 4,178,125 | 4,274,226 | 4,273,226 | 4,418,608 |
| 200/Equipment | 61,499 | 179,159 | 193,814 | 137,286 | |
| 300/Supplies & Materials | 225,780 | 280,462 | 286,507 | 230,550 | |
| 400/Contracted Services & Maintenance | 515,408 | 862,637 | 885,370 | 1,020,494 | |
| 440/Contracts -- Professional & Technical Services | 615,055 | 168,800 | 187,592 | 281,185 | |
| 490/Payments to School Districts/Other BOCES | 1,180,117 | 1,142,350 | 1,144,060 | 997,500 | |
| 800/Employee Benefits | 9,136,747 | 9,326,741 | 9,357,796 | 9,548,089 | |
| 950/Transfer Charges from Operations & Maintenance | 616,245 | 595,697 | 602,647 | 698,772 | |
| 960/Transfer Charges from Other Service Programs | 13,282,724 | 13,782,251 | 13,881,524 | 13,865,346 | |
| Gross Expenditures | $48,426,647 | $48,520,273 | $48,668,776 | $48,259,795 | |
| 970/Less Transfer Credits from Other Service Programs | 13,271,040 | 13,821,743 | 13,828,693 | 14,102,604 | |
| Net Expenditures | 431.43 | $35,155,607 | $34,698,530 | $34,840,083 | $34,157,191 |
