FARMINGTON — Regional School Unit 9 will take over responsibility for Early Childhood Special Education services for eligible 4-year-olds beginning in the 2026-27 school year, a major shift Superintendent Christian Elkington outlined during the board of directors meeting Jan. 27.

The change is part of a statewide transition in which Maine school districts are gradually assuming responsibility for Early Childhood Special Education services previously provided by Child Development Services. Districts are being brought into the system in phases, known as cohorts, to allow time for staffing, training and program development. RSU 9 is part of Cohort 3, with the transition scheduled to take effect in the 2026-27 school year.

“To support this move, we have requested early allocation funding to hire a pre-K special education coordinator,” Elkington said. The position would work with public pre-K programs, community providers and Child Development Services to support students with individualized education programs and those entering child-find services.

According to information provided by RSU 9 Director of Special Education Cynthia Bernstein, the transition will expand the district’s role in identifying and serving younger students. RSU 9 will be responsible for identifying children who may have a disability and providing services for children who turn 4 years old before Oct. 15, 2026, for the 2026-27 school year. The district will also begin serving children who turn 3 years old before Oct. 15, 2027, during the 2027-28 school year.

Bernstein said the district is already working to strengthen partnerships with early childhood providers.

“RSU 9 is connecting with local child care providers, preschools and nursery schools so we will work more closely together in the process of identifying and serving and supporting these children and their families,” she said.

Elkington said RSU 9 is also participating in professional development and technical assistance through the Maine Department of Education’s Transition Team as it prepares to take on the responsibility.

“The process may feel a little different for parents whose children are in child care or community preschools, or aren’t yet connected to any program outside of their home,” she said. “These families may not be accustomed to interacting with the school district with their children at such a young age.”

She added that families already familiar with the Mt. Blue pre-K program may notice changes in how referrals are handled.

“Families with experience having children in the Mt. Blue pre-K program may notice a more structured process for referring their child for special education programming moving forward,” Bernstein said.

District officials said beginning with 4-year-olds allows RSU 9 to build systems gradually before expanding services.

“The district wanted the opportunity to have positive relationships with community providers, have successful processes in place, learn from others who started before us to make any necessary changes and work through any unexpected challenges during the first year of the transition,” Bernstein said. “We felt this would be more likely to promote success in the second year of the transition.”

Bernstein said families should view the transition as an opportunity to build early relationships with district staff and access support sooner.

“District families will meet with district teachers, principals and service providers earlier, as will district staff,” she said. “This will help both to get to know each other at earlier ages, creating really wonderful and supportive transitions through preschool and on to kindergarten. We ask families to please reach out to the Special Education Department if you have any concerns about your child’s learning, social, play and/or physical skills.”