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Elgin ISD approves consent agenda covering special education contracts, armed school security and bond-funded athletic projects
Summary
Trustees approved multiple consent items including contracts for outsourced special-education services, ongoing armed security services, an AT&T backup internet link and Proposition A athletic facility improvements; board discussion focused on staffing shortages for specialized therapists and turnover among contracted security officers.
The Elgin ISD Board of Trustees approved a consent agenda that included annual approvals of purchases greater than $50,000, contracts for special-education contracted services, continued armed security services and bond-funded athletic facility work; the consent motion passed 6-1.
Dr. Ritter, the district superintendent, explained that the contracted special-education services cover speech-language pathologists and other therapists the district must provide under students' individualized education programs. "We don't want to have to use outside contracted services, but these are all for positions that we have posted in the school district that we keep posted pretty much year round because we would love to be able to hire them and have our own," Dr. Ritter said, adding that the district has not attracted enough applicants since COVID-19.
A special-education leader told trustees the program served 963 students at the end of the last school year; staff said enrollment is rising and that contracted services are needed to ensure students receive required supports on day one of school. One staff speaker noted the contracts include flexible notice provisions: "we only have to give them a 30 day notice if we no longer need a particular contracted service," making it possible to stop payments if the district hires its own staff midyear.
Trustees also discussed armed security services the district procured through a five-year contract awarded Sept. 18, 2023, to Texas Public Safety and Investigations (TPSI). Miss Cornelius, a district staff member who oversees school safety arrangements, said turnover exists but has improved and that the contract helps the district meet legal obligations: "through House Bill 3, we are required to have an armed officer on campus all the time regardless of absences," she said. The board was told the contract provides coverage and includes an extra 10 hours per officer to help staff extracurricular events without additional overtime charges; the AT&T backup internet connection before the board is a 5-gig link and the district's primary connection is a 10-gig link.
Consent items also included Proposition A athletic facilities improvements from the 2024 bond: conversion of fields to artificial turf, four additional tennis courts, bleacher and scoreboard upgrades and a press-box expansion (the "Studio E" project) that will include CTE classrooms. The performing-arts center furniture, fixtures and equipment was also on the consent list and is bond funded. Board member Mister Moss moved approval; Missus Woltershire seconded. The roll-call tally on the consent vote was recorded as 6-1.
The board did not change the underlying contracts at this meeting; staff said many of the vendors were procured through prior RFPs and the consent motion authorizes the fiscal-year expenditures above $50,000.
