LEWISTON – Pending Medicaid rule changes could result in higher property taxes to school districts with sizable special education student populations, Lewiston’s director of special education said Wednesday.

How much more taxpayers could pay wasn’t known Wednesday, according to special education administrator Mel Curtis.

But the changes could have a “huge impact” on funding for special education programs, Curtis said. “This is a great surprise that it’s occurring as rapidly as it is … Everybody’s scrambling.”

The changes could result in scuttling reimbursements to schools for medical services provided to special education students. Curtis expects that Lewiston “will be hit quite heavily. The expenses will fall further on local government. At the same time, mandates to provide those services remain.”

In Lewiston there are about 840 special education students. Of those, 75 percent fall under Medicaid. Medicaid currently reimburses schools when they provide needed health services to those students. As of July 1, Medicaid will no longer reimburse schools.

Medical services for special ed students include speech language, occupational and physical therapy, depending on student needs. The services are part of the individual education program, Curtis said.

Curtis said Lewiston and other school departments will listen carefully today for information about the pending cutbacks from state Education Commissioner Susan Gendron and Health and Human Services Commissioner Brenda Harvey.

The loss of Medicaid reimbursements to state government will be $7.4 million next year. The cost to municipalities will be $19.6 million, according to the Maine Department of Education.

“So it’s a big hit to us in the department, and a bigger hit locally,” said education department spokesman David Connerty-Marin. “The federal government requires us to provide those services on the one hand, but on the other hand, now it’s saying it won’t pay for them.”

The state also stands to lose another $10 million in programs for children up to 5 years of age, Connerty-Marin said.

The Medicaid rule changes will also eliminate federal money that now supports health care services for the elderly, people with developmental disabilities, and people with mental illness, who are among Maine’s poorest citizens, according to the state.

Gendron will present detailed information today to school districts through the state’s distance learning video conferencing network.

School systems interested in viewing the video conference can get information about locations online at www.maine.gov/education/medicaid.html. The department will also post additional information about the changes, including a fact sheet and PowerPoint presentation.