In an exclusive interview with News 12 Connecticut Monday, Bridgeport officials announced plans to build a $73 million school exclusively for students with special needs. "This new facility - which will be a technical wonder and make us the envy of school districts everywhere -- will end years of toilsome bussing for hundreds of our most vulnerable students, some of whom have been getting their educations outside of Connecticut, a situation I've long wished to remedy," Mayor Joe Ganim told News 12. The new special ed school will be built on the North End, where the A.B. Skane school - built in 1965 - currently stands, Ganim said. Acting School Superintendent Dr. Royce Avery thanked state lawmakers for securing the money. "I'm proud to stand here today with State Rep. Chris Roasrio, who helped to get us to this pivotal moment," Avery said. Rosario said the funding is already in hand, which means "it can't now be clawed back by the federal government." "The school will bring not only relief to the district and the city, in terms of cost-savings, but also peace of mind to families, knowing their children are not going to be bussed as far away as Middletown or even Boston," Rosario said. A full third of the district's budget currently goes to special education, officials said Kiara Luna, whose 9-year-old son has autism, said the announcement was the best news she's heard "in a very long time." "This is a transformational step forward for both the district and our family. When I first heard the news, I wanted to cry - for joy," Luna said. The new school is expected to be built by 2027, officials said.