This page will provide answers to questions that come to the Committee on a somewhat frequent basis.
| How are teacher salaries determined? | Teacher salaries are based on their experience and education. Every three years, a new contract is negotiated between the Schools and the Harvard Teachers Association. A major outcome of the contract is the salary matrix that provides the salary for each grade and step. As each year of teaching goes by, a teacher will likely qualify for a step increase. Furthermore, as a teacher builds up their own training, for example, by earning a Masters, or additional credits beyond, the teacher may qualify for an additional increase. Added to an annual adjustment of the salary matrix, an individual teacher's salary adjustment at the beginning of the school year can be well above 5%. |
| How is the School funded? | The bulk of the funding for the School District comes from the Town, collected in the form of property taxes. This accounts for roughly 70% of the operating budget. In addition, the District receives general state support (Chapter 70 funds, established by the Massachusetts General Laws), support for Special Education (Circuit Breaker), fees (e.g., paid by students who participate in extracurricular activities), various fundraising programs (e.g., Harvard Schools Trust, the PTA and PHSF), income from continuing education programs and the school lunch program and other sources. We also receive income in the form of tuition from students enrolled in our integrated pre-school and CHOICE programs. |
| Listed below are some frequently asked questions regarding our special education programs and related costs. | |
| Who is eligible to receive special services? | All children between the ages of 3 and 22 must be provided with special education services, if they are determined to be eligible. |
| Who makes the determination that a student is eligible for special education services and what are the criteria? | The determination of eligibility for special education services is guided by both federal and state regulations. In order to be eligible, a student must be diagnosed with a specific impairment that is preventing him/her from making effective progress in the general curriculum. Once that determination is made, the student’s special education team writes an Individualized Education Program that includes the specially designed instruction and/or related services needed for that student to make effective progress in the general curriculum. |
| What percentage of Harvard students receives special services and how does that number compare with the state average? | Currently, the percentage of Harvard students receiving special education services is 16.1%, which is the same as the state average. |
| What types of accommodations does the district make to educate students with special needs within the district? | Included in each student’s Individualized Education Program is a list of “team-determined” accommodations developed specifically for that student based upon his/her need. These accommodations must be implemented in the general education classroom in order for that student to access the general curriculum. These accommodations can range from seat location or extra time for writing assignments, to a supported classroom or a one-to-one aide. |
| What does Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) mean? | Least Restrictive Environment refers to the educational placement that assures, to the maximum extent appropriate, students with disabilities are educated with students who are not disabled, and that special classes, separate schooling, or other removal of students with disabilities from the general education environment occurs only when the nature or severity of the student’s disability is such that education in regular classes with the use of supplementary aids and services cannot be achieved satisfactorily. |
| Why do some students receive instructional services during the summer? | In the state regulations, instructional services provided during the summer are referred to as Extended School Year (ESY) Programs. A determination for the provision of ESY services must be made on an individual basis and is provided to a student who the special education team determines will experience significant regression over the break from school. This determination looks at the period of time required for the recoupment of performance levels that were attained before a break in service(s), the student’s limited learning rate, and other factors specific to the diagnosed impairment |
| If a student’s needs are such that they cannot be met within the district how do we educate him or her? | If the special education team determines that a student’s educational needs cannot be met by the district’s current resources, it can make a recommendation for an educational placement outside the district. Such students are then placed in either a collaborative setting or in a Department of Education approved special education private school. The latter may be a day or residential recommendation. |
| What is a collaborative and do we belong to one? | The Harvard Public Schools belongs to the Concord Area Special Education (C.A.S.E.) Collaborative. Collaboratives are composed of public school districts who have come together to provide specialized educational programming for students with “low incidence” disabilities. |
| What are the advantages of sending a student to a collaborative program versus a private placement? | Educational placements for “low-incidence” students can be better provided in a collaborative setting, with member districts sending their students with similar needs to be educated in one central location, close to their home school district, housed in a public school building in an environment with typical students. In addition, belonging to a collaborative provides an opportunity for cost-sharing, instead of placing a student in a generally more expensive private placement or developing an in-house program for a single student. Also, using CASE’s billing formula, member districts are able to accurately project budget costs for the upcoming fiscal year. |
| How are tuitions and fees charged by private schools serving special education students regulated? | Rates charged by Department of Education approved private placements are set by the state’s Operational Services Division on an annual basis. By January, the percentage increase that will be allowed each private school is disseminated to the school districts. Occasionally, private schools will apply to the state for an increase beyond the approved rate increase, based on changes/improvements in their programs. |
| There seems to be a large range in the cost of private placements? What causes this range? | The rates charged by private special education placements are regulated by the state. Different placements serve different student populations. The variations in rates are related to the types and levels of severity of the impairments found in their student populations. This, in turn, drives the variety and levels of services required and, therefore, the range in rates. |
| I understand that the “circuit breaker” is a source of revenue from the state which helps to fund more expensive private placements. How does “circuit breaker” reimbursement work? | The “Circuit Breaker” law is designed to reimburse school districts for high cost students, whether they be in-district or in an out-of-district placement. The law reimburses for both instructional and tuition costs. It does not reimburse the school district for transportation costs. At the end of each school year, a claim for reimbursement is filed for each eligible student. The claim form contains a standard rate for each service that is indicated on a student’s Individualized Education Program. The reimbursement for that student is then calculated. The current formula makes the school district responsible for four times the foundation budget figure. For the FY06 this total is $31,161. Once that amount is subtracted from the cost the tuition and/or services for a student, there is a percentage of the difference that the state reimburses the school district. Currently, that percentage is 72%. So, for a $50,000 placement, the school district is responsible for the first $31,161 + $5,275 (28% of the difference). That leaves a total reimbursement to the school district, for that student, of $13,564. Since it is a reimbursement program, the amount coming to the school district is based on the previous year’s costs. |
| It seems there has been a recent increase in the number of preschool students with special needs in Harvard. Is this trend being seen in other communities and what is the cause? | Nationally, as well as state-wide, there has been a dramatic increase in young children with special needs. Weekly newspaper reports address the growth and impact of certain impairments now becoming more common in this age group. Harvard is not unique in its experience with its preschool population. With more children surviving medical crises at birth, and other environmental factors yet to be positively identified, the growth in the need for special education services for the preschool-aged child will continue for some time. |
| What is an “integrated pre-school program” and why do we have one in Harvard? | For a long time, Harvard did not provide the full continuum of programs and services required by regulations. In addressing that requirement, we instituted an integrated preschool program beginning last year. Prior to having our own program, students, ages three to five, who required a special education program had to be tuitioned into other school districts or private placements. With our own in-house program, we are now able to serve our own children and control unanticipated costs arising from that population. This year, the existence of our own integrated preschool classrooms has saved the school district hundreds of thousands of dollars that would have been spent to place our students in some other town’s school system. |
| What other programs might the district consider offering to help manage costs in the future? |
In reviewing the needs of Harvard’s student population, both in and out-of-district, both the student’s and the district would be well-served in the immediate future by the development of:
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