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Parent urges board to retain IU13 job‑training contract for students with disabilities
Summary
A parent told the board Sept. 9 that a recently posted district job‑trainer position risks disrupting established employer partnerships and work‑based opportunities for students with disabilities if the district severs the IU13 contract.
During public comment on Sept. 9 a parent raised concerns about a district job‑trainer position that had appeared on the district website through Sept. 6 and warned that moving the program in‑house could disrupt long‑standing employer partnerships that serve students in life‑skills and learning‑support programs.
The parent, Sarah Ziders, said the current job‑training program is contracted through IU 13 and that IU staff have built employer relationships with local partners (Masonic Village, CTC, local businesses) over several years. Ziders said a new in‑house program would need to re‑establish those connections and could cause students to lose immediate work‑based learning and paid opportunities during critical high‑school years. She asked the board to reconsider whether severing the IU contract best serves students' long‑term transition outcomes.
No motion or administrative decision on that topic was on the Sept. 9 agenda; the comment was recorded to inform the board and administration of community concern. Administration did not announce a formal contract decision on the record during the meeting.
