Busing special education students out of district is costing the town a pretty penny.

During a fiscal year 2017 budget presentation Wednesday night, Finance Manager Michael MacMillan and Superintendent Kimberly Shaver-Hood told the School Committee the district will be spending $255,000 on out-of-district transportation for its 42 special education students. This is $172,000 more than last year. Most students attend specialized educational institutions such as READS Collaborative and Cape Cod Collaborative, Special Education Director Beverly Shea said.

Committee Chairman Geoff Swett noted that, if he were doing a trend line, “it would actually be going up every year,” and expressed concern at the steadily-increasing costs, because the district is not reimbursed for transportation costs associated with out-of-district special education students.

“Is there any reason for optimism that the total amount spent is what is being projected and … the cost per student is really going to be less?” Swett asked Shea, who was called forward to explain the reason behind the costs.

Shea explained that the number was largely due to students moving in from other districts, but still attending specialized schools out of district.

“We pick up the costs immediately,” Shea said. “It is very difficult to anticipate how that trend will turn out.”

Shea added that they did include a 2% increase in transportation costs “to be conservative and thorough,” but that, sometimes, there are no actual increases reflected in real life. She also said that the school year is still young, so the projected numbers aren’t exactly set in stone.

Committee member Judy Caporiccio said she was under the impression it was “better for the students to be educated with their peers in the public schools,” and asked if there was a program to bring the students back to the district.

Shea said they are “pursuing every opportunity to bring kids back,” but that “some of the programs that already exist are in a much stronger position than public schools are to meet those students’ needs.”

“Each and every case is individual, and each case requires a lot of study,” Shea said. “We do have our share of students with multiple needs, and my highest priority is to make sure those students’ needs are met.”

Shea also said in order to create a better environment for special education students, she is working part-time with a woman who is a former special education director who has done similar work in the past.

Ultimately, Shaver-Hood said, one of district’s goals is to build more programs to keep the special education students in Wareham.