The Massachusetts Association of Approved Special Education Schools (MAAPS) conducted a staffing survey in 2021 and found that 76 percent of schools are operating at a significant staffing deficit; from 10 to 50 percent of positions are vacant. Staffing at 70 percent of schools are close to or have already reached levels that could impact admissions and 14 percent have already turned students away. The survey also noted that 85 percent of schools reported “significant difficulty” with recruitment and retention of residential staff.
The New England Center for Children (NECC) is representative of these figures in both its day school and residential programs, according to Jessica Sassi, PhD, BCBA-D, LABA, executive director
Sassi explained tha...
