The East Baton Rouge Parish School Board approved a set of professional services contracts for exceptional student services during the 2025-05-01 meeting.

The contracts and amounts announced on the record included: Deaf Resource Center of Greater Baton Rouge LLC — $80,000 to provide qualified sign-language interpreter services (funding source: IDEA Part B); Dr. Kasunda Williams, LP, BCBA‑D, NCSP — $60,000 for applied behavioral analysis/behavioral transition services (IDEA Part B); Eagan Healthcare Corporation (d/b/a Eagan‑Ochsner HBHC River Parishes) — $298,350 for nursing services (IDEA Part B); Turner LLC — $1,211,600 for nursing services (IDEA Part B); and Pediatric Services of America LLC (d/b/a Avina Healthcare) — $932,000 for nursing services (IDEA Part B).

Vice President Godet recused herself from the item before discussion because her daughter works as an executive at Ochsner; the vice‑president ceded the gavel and the item proceeded. No public speakers registered on the item.

Board member Nathan Russ moved the item and Cliff Lewis seconded. The board called the vote and the motion carried. The board did not provide a roll‑call tally in the transcript for this specific motion beyond the chair’s announcement that the motion carried.

Board members and staff discussed how contracted behavioral services are used: the ESS office explained that schools or staff notify the ESS department when a student returning from a behavioral health facility or a student with significant behavioral needs requires support. Dr. Kasunda Williams’s contract was described as including family and student interviews, transition planning and consultation with school teams; placements and follow-up would be incorporated into students’ IEPs and monitored by the IEP team.

The contracts were presented as one‑year professional services agreements using IDEA Part B funding; board members asked clarifying questions about identification, monitoring and plans to sustain work beyond a single contract period.