LISBON — A change in service agreements with the Robert ByCroft School has made the Beaver Local School District responsible for half of the cost of their students placed with the specialty school.

District Superintendent Eric Lowe said the district was only recently notified of the shift in fee structures that resulted in an estimated $71,379 cost to the district.

“In the past, there has not been a charge. The district would likely be paying 50 percent of the cost of the students’ services with what seemed to be a possibility of it increasing along the way in future years,” he said.

He added that it was recently shared at a meeting with Columbiana County School Districts that only about half of Ohio’s counties still have schools through the county board of developmental disabilities. “The board of developmental disabilities is responsible for the cost of services for individuals over the course of their life which means schooling is a small piece of that,” he said.

The change was discussed during the Beaver Local May board of education meeting.

Board members asked about the levies in place that aid Robert ByCroft, which is operated by the Columbiana Board of Developmental Disabilities.

Lowe explained that a portion of those funds go to the education of students with other dollars being used in differing capacities.

As for the recent service agreement change, Lowe told the board it was indicated that changes made in 2024 by government agencies had forced the change but it was only discussed with schools at a recent meeting.

He shared they appreciate the work that is done by Robert Bycroft for students but wished there had been ongoing discussions about the possible changes on the horizon so it was not presented in this manner.

“We had wished this had been an ongoing discussion item, but it hadn’t. However, in light of the funding challenges across the state, I wanted to make sure the board was aware of this unexpected cost that we had not budgeted for,” he said.

Lowe added that the district continues to keep a close eye on the ever changing world of school finances and said the district has been working its best to not replace a number of jobs through attrition as they try to get ahead of any future funding changes.

Lowe went on to say while these changes make things a little more tight than desired, the district is working to be proactive to be in the best position to navigate the changing landscapes.

District Treasurer Stacy Williams said district finances are in alignment with projections, noting that end-of-year finances remain on target and the district is in a good position as they begin planning for next year’s purchasing.

Board President John Campbell closed the meeting by praising the diversity of success at Beaver Local.

Campbell was specifically happy to hear how many students scored well on the ACT and were honored at Heads Above the Rest, and of the many athletic successes.