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Norwalk BoE to consider $458K unexpected cost

April 20, 2015
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Nancy Guenther Chapman
Norwalk Public Schools Chief Financial Officer Rich Rudl.
Norwalk Public Schools Chief Financial Officer Rich Rudl.

NORWALK, Conn. — Eight new special education students have cost the Norwalk Board of Education $458,000, Norwalk Public Schools Chief Financial Officer Rich Rudl said in a memo to the Board.

The BoE on Tuesday will vote on a budget transfer to cover the expense, taking the money out of  “salary savings from vacant positions as well as the savings within our FICA tax account due to those vacant positions,” Rudl said.

“We have been tracking our special education out-of-district tuition account (object 563) all year as we have seen new placements throughout the year. Since the last budget transfer that came to the BOE for approval on 2/3/15 there is now a need for additional budget transfers due to eight additional students being outplaced,” Rudl said.

“We are currently projecting an end-of-year balance (in the out-of-district tuition account) of $7,117,066,” Rudl wrote. “Should there be any additional out-placements between now and June 30, 2015, there will be a need for additional transfers, which can be supported from unencumbered available balances throughout the districts operating budget.”

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8 responses to “Norwalk BoE to consider $458K unexpected cost”

  1. Joanna Cooper

    This is good news! It shows movement in SPED to deliver what kids need. I’m sure those parents had to fight like hell to get those out placements and they are appropriate. The goal of out placements is often to remediate skills so students can return to the district and be reintegrated. Let’s not forget the CREC reports and a generation lost to a “culture of intimidation and control” tactics used in NPS SPED over the last decade. This shows that culture is slowly changing. NPS needs to push through that early childhood center that has run into rising costs. Early intervention is critical and it will save money in the long term avoiding many outplacements.

  2. Bill

    We spend double, almost triple on “special needs” kids than we do on kids that will end up being productive, taxpaying members of society.

    Let these kids learn how to play with lego’s and drill holes and stop spending so much money on the people that will not drive our economy in the future.

    I don’t think these kids will care either way.

    Harsh but true.

    Our priorities are backwards.

  3. dawn

    I would be curious to know

    1. where are we sending these kids.
    2. what are they getting in the school they are going to that they cannot get in Norwalk.

    I absolutely understand that it can be cost effective to outsource, but just wondering.

  4. Norewalk Lifer

    I can’t even comment on this after reading one of the comments here.

    I can’t believe that Norwalk has people in it like this

    Regards
    Norwalk Lifer

  5. Townie

    This guy Rudl seems to be pretty sharp and on the ball. From my observation, he has done more, with less resources and in a shorter period of time, than that Longo fellow, who Rudl worked for, before he bolted to Westport. I think Longo was pretty impressed with himself.

  6. Tony P

    @ Joanna -I certainly hope that the District fought back. I worked in the NPS, and taxpayers would be utterly shocked to see how much the district ‘gave in’ to unrealistic parent requests for out-placements that, in reality, didn’t need to happen – they simply sent them to avoid litigation. And usually, these kids NEVER COME BACK. Try telling a parent whose getting the full boat that the ride is over. I would bet that’s still going on too. I would LOVE to see just where these kids are, and for what reason. $500k on 8 kids??? Angry as a taxpayer, but happily an employee in a neighboring, high functioning, well run district.

  7. Joanna Cooper

    @ Tony P
    Your characterization that, “the district ‘gave in’ to unrealistic parent requests for out-placements that, in reality, didn’t need to happen – they simply sent them to avoid litigation.” is completely off the mark! An utterly mistaken belief. A highly unlikely situation in ANY district especially Norwalk. The laws under IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act) that drive and guide special education provide two fundamental Rights: the right to FAPE (free appropriate public education) in the LRE (least restrictive environment) meaning by law the district has to justify removing students from the general education environment.

    As for wondering who these kids are and where they go that is by law always confidential information. It is first a team decision that occurs in a PPT meeting, or most often through mediation with attorneys, as part of the resolution of a state complaint and in extremely rare cases in a full due process hearing. If you thought about it a little you might have come to the realization that there are always going to be some children that are too medically fragile and whose disabilities are so severe the public school is just not equipped to meet their needs. Or others who may have severe behavioral or social emotional issues that outplacement is not only necessary for the child but for the safety of other students. Others still who can benefit greatly from outplacement and return successfully to the district saving money in the long term.

    There are thousands of different scenarios that may lead to outplacements. Rest assured your hope that the “district fought back” is often the case in most districts. No districts easily give out costly outplacements without careful consideration of the child’s individual needs and their obligations required by federal law. For the average parent in ANY district navigating the SPED system is hugely challenging.

    That fact is you don’t have to agree with my opinion there have been numerous independent reports that confirm NPS spends less on SPED students by comparison to other districts and that they have been historically under funded and under served for over a decade.

    @ Bill
    Your assumptions are misguided. Evenly the most severely disabled can become productive tax paying members of society. I have a life long friend with severe Cerebral Palsy. He worked in the mail room of a big company for forty years and was one of their most beloved loyal employees. He bought the house his able bodied parents and sibling lived in. His pension helps support both himself and his able brother in their retirement.

    Where is your empathy and compassion? Think for just a moment it were your child or family member that needed outplacement to get help. Would you feel the same way? Where are your priorities? Do you believe these people should be institutionalized? Do you think that costs less over a life time? The issue is pay now for early intervention and remediate skills or pay for a life time. The idea that the kids won’t care either way is untrue and cruel. If they are appealingly incapable of caring they still deserve our care and to be treated with dignity. Let’s not forget the unalienable rights afforded to those living in our civilized society… the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

    @ Nancy and Mark Chapman
    I wish you had been a little more sensitive to students with disabilities. When you publish this kind of article you have to realize that you help to create inadvertently a hostile environment for those most vulnerable. They are challenged enough they don’t need to have people angry at them for needing support. I guarantee you that the parents of children with severe disabilities wish their children were healthy and did not require assistance. Would the parents of typical children care to trade places? I think not.

  8. Bill

    They have the right to do whatever they want with their own kid, but not on my dime 😉

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