The Davenport Community School District Board of Education voted to approve a $217,539.42 renewal of the Project SEARCH partnership that places students with developmental disabilities in internships at Saint Ambrose/Silvercrest Garner, in partnership with Iowa Vocational Rehabilitation Services. The motion passed after one board member announced they must abstain because they work for the company that owns and manages the senior living facility.

Project SEARCH provides work-readiness training and employer-based internships for students with disabilities transitioning from school to employment. The contract approved by the board covers continued operation of that partnership for the coming term and the district listed the renewal amount during the board motion.

Board members did not raise substantive amendments during the vote. A board member stated they needed to abstain from the vote because of employment with the facility’s management company; the abstention was recorded prior to the voice vote. No roll-call vote with individual yes/no votes was read into the record in the transcript.

The approval continues the district’s collaboration with Iowa Vocational Rehabilitation Services and the Saint Ambrose/Silvercrest Garner partner site; the motion text presented the precise dollar amount approved.