The Special Education Observatory · District
Gardner
- 2,532students enrolledPrekindergarten through grade 12
- 568school-age students with IEPsPlus 66 ages 3 to 5
- 22.4%of enrolled students have an IEPMassachusetts 19.8% · nation 15.3%
- 71.1%in general education 80% or more of the dayMassachusetts 67.0% · nation 67.9%
Where students learn
Each setting for school-age students with IEPs, with Massachusetts marked. A share over fewer than 10 students is not published.
- In general education 80% or more of the day71.1%
- In general education 40% to 79% of the day11.8%
- In general education less than 40% of the day11.1%
- Separate school5.1%
- Residential facilityNot published
- Homebound or hospital0.0%
- Correctional facility0.0%
- Parentally placed in private school0.0%
| Setting | Students | Share | Massachusetts | United States |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| In general education 80% or more of the day | 404 | 71.1% | 67.0% | 67.9% |
| In general education 40% to 79% of the day | 67 | 11.8% | 12.3% | 15.2% |
| In general education less than 40% of the day | 63 | 11.1% | 13.5% | 13.0% |
| Separate school | 29 | 5.1% | 5.4% | 2.5% |
| Residential facility | Not published | Not published | 0.4% | 0.1% |
| Homebound or hospital | 0 | 0.0% | 0.4% | 0.3% |
| Correctional facility | 0 | 0.0% | Less than 0.1% | 0.1% |
| Parentally placed in private school | 0 | 0.0% | 1.4% | 1.8% |
What may be driving it
Where Gardner sits among Massachusetts's districts on five measures, beside the state.
- Identification rate22.4%81st highest of 374
- In general education 80% or more of the day71.1%197th highest of 354
- In separate settings6.0%54th highest of 178
- Spending per student$18,857294th highest of 318
- School-age poverty (estimate)12.8%42nd highest of 291
Questions worth asking
- 22.4% of Gardner's students have an IEP, 2.6 points above Massachusetts (19.8%). How do referral, evaluation and eligibility practices shape that share?[1][3]
- Spending per student is $18,857, against $24,429 for Massachusetts. How much of the difference is cost of living, staffing levels or special education services?[6]
Gardner beside Massachusetts and the nation
Each figure names its source and year below. Spending is the Census Bureau’s fiscal year 2024, the 2023–24 school year.
| Measure | Gardner | Massachusetts | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Identification rateSchool-age students with IEPs, over all students enrolled prekindergarten through grade 12 | 22.4% | 19.8% | 15.3% |
| In general education 80% or more of the dayStudents with IEPs ages 5 (in kindergarten) through 21 | 71.1% | 67.0% | 67.9% |
| In general education less than 40% of the dayStudents with IEPs ages 5 (in kindergarten) through 21 | 11.1% | 13.5% | 13.0% |
| School-age poverty (estimate)Related residents ages 5 to 17 living within the district’s boundaries | 12.8% | 10.4% | 14.4% |
| Spending per studentAll students enrolled in the school system (Census fall membership) | $18,857 | $24,429 | $17,314 |
Circuit breaker reimbursement
What Massachusetts reimbursed Gardner for high-cost special education, by fiscal year, as DESE publishes it.
| Fiscal year | Students claimed | Eligible expenses | Threshold per student | Reimbursement |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fiscal year 2022 | 23 | $1,527,246 | $1,050,840 | $357,310 |
| Fiscal year 2023 | 15 | $1,119,370 | $710,445 | $306,696 |
| Fiscal year 2024 | 25 | $2,463,329 | $1,212,603 | $868,598 |
| Fiscal year 2025 | 32 | $3,247,858 | $1,629,212 | $945,130 |
| Fiscal year 2026 | 38 | $4,199,631 | $1,991,922 | $1,609,307 |
The circuit breaker is Massachusetts' special education reimbursement program (M.G.L. c. 71B, § 5A). When the cost of educating one student with a disability passes a threshold the state sets, the state reimburses the district for a share of the cost above it. A payment in one fiscal year reimburses the previous year's costs. "Students claimed" counts the students whose costs the district claimed; "reimbursement" is the total DESE paid that fiscal year.
How these figures are built
Both parts. Rates use only the districts that reported both parts of the fraction. A district missing either part is left out of that rate, never counted as zero.
Not published. Not published means the publisher suppressed the figure to protect student privacy, did not report it, or the count is fewer than 10 students. It is never zero.
- Students with IEPs, school age
- Students with IEPs ages 5 (in kindergarten) through 21 served under IDEA Part B on the state’s child count date.Who is counted: Students with IEPs ages 5 (in kindergarten) through 21.Source: IDEA Section 618 Part B Child Count (file specification 002), district level, 2024–25 school year.
- Identification rate
- School-age students with IEPs as a share of all students enrolled in the same districts. A district that sends students to another district’s schools can count residents with IEPs it does not enroll, so its rate can run high.Who is counted: School-age students with IEPs, over all students enrolled prekindergarten through grade 12.Source: IDEA Section 618 Part B Child Count (file specification 002), district level, 2024–25 school year.Both parts: School-age students with IEPs (IDEA child count), over Students enrolled (Common Core of Data membership).
- In general education 80% or more of the day
- Share of school-age students with IEPs inside the regular class 80% or more of the school day.Who is counted: Students with IEPs ages 5 (in kindergarten) through 21.Source: IDEA Section 618 Part B Educational Environments (file specification 089), district level, 2024–25 school year.Both parts: Students in this setting, over All school-age students with IEPs in the environments file.
- In general education less than 40% of the day
- Share of school-age students with IEPs inside the regular class less than 40% of the school day.Who is counted: Students with IEPs ages 5 (in kindergarten) through 21.Source: IDEA Section 618 Part B Educational Environments (file specification 089), district level, 2024–25 school year.Both parts: Students in this setting, over All school-age students with IEPs in the environments file.
- School-age poverty (estimate)
- Estimated share of related residents ages 5 to 17 living in families in poverty, within the district’s boundaries. A model-based estimate with a margin of error.Who is counted: Related residents ages 5 to 17 living within the district’s boundaries.Source: SAIPE school district estimates, Income year 2024.Both parts: Residents ages 5 to 17 in families in poverty, over Related residents ages 5 to 17.
- Spending per student
- Current spending on elementary-secondary education per pupil, as the Census Bureau publishes it: spending for students outside the system’s fall membership, capital outlay and debt service are excluded.Who is counted: All students enrolled in the school system (Census fall membership).Source: Public elementary-secondary education finance data, per-pupil spending by school system (table elsec24t), Fiscal year 2024 (the 2023–24 school year).Both parts: Current elementary-secondary spending, over Fall membership.
Sources
- U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs. IDEA Section 618 Part B Child Count (file specification 002), district level, 2024–25 school year. data.ed.gov. Public domain. Retrieved October 4, 2026.
- U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs. IDEA Section 618 Part B Educational Environments (file specification 089), district level, 2024–25 school year. data.ed.gov. Licensed CC BY. Retrieved October 4, 2026.
- U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics. Common Core of Data, district membership (final), 2024–25 school year. nces.ed.gov. Public domain. Retrieved October 4, 2026.
- U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics. Common Core of Data, district directory (final), 2024–25 school year. nces.ed.gov. Public domain. Retrieved October 4, 2026.
- U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates. SAIPE school district estimates, Income year 2024. www.census.gov. Public domain. Retrieved October 4, 2026.
- U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances (F-33). Public elementary-secondary education finance data, per-pupil spending by school system (table elsec24t), Fiscal year 2024 (the 2023–24 school year). www.census.gov. Public domain. Retrieved October 4, 2026.
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