Town gets aid for special ed

Board of Education receives $29,525 in extraordinary aid.

By: Josh Appelbaum
   The Board of Education got some help from the state to cover extra costs for students with disabilities.
   On April 12, the school board accepted $29,525 in extraordinary aid to offset costs for sending disabled students to schools outside the district. Those costs include tuition, speech, occupational and physical therapy and other items, excluding transportation.
   Cranbury has five students with disabilities it sends out of district.
   School districts that spend more than $40,000 on direct services for students with disabilities are eligible to receive aid to cover costs above that amount.
   School Business Administrator Brian DeLucia said districts don’t recoup all of the money, but the state usually gives them a percentage.
   Services for disabled students will cost the district $105,972 for the 2004-2005 school year, he said. The district applied for the aid during the winter.
   Mr. DeLucia said the school board will decide whether the money will go into the current budget and be applied to this year’s costs for direct services or into the surplus fund to be used for added tax relief next year.
   He said the board would have to amend the current spending plan to include the aid. He expects a vote on the funding in May.
   The district has gotten similar aid for the 2002-2003 and 2003-2004 school years.
   Mr. DeLucia expects an increase in costs from 3 to 5 percent for the 2005-2006 school year.