Board approves Envision contract for 2025—26; district to use local funds, staff says

The Orange County Board of Education approved a contract with Envision for the 2025—26 school year, with district staff saying the contract will be paid from local funds and describing an increase in both the district’s prior-year spending on Envision and the contractor’s hourly rates. Board member Smiley asked which funds would be used for the contract; a staff member replied, “We will use local funds.” When Smiley asked why the contract amount is larger than the prior year, the staff member said the district had spent roughly $149,000 for Envision services last year after a $107,000 contract and a roughly $50,000 addendum, and that this year’s increase reflects both higher student needs and higher hourly rates. The staff member described rate changes as an increase from $88 per hour for face-to-face services last year to $95 this year, and a rise from $58 to $63 for another hourly rate; the staff also said a special-services fee did not change. The board approved the Envision contract by voice/roll-call vote; board members recorded their support and the motion carried. The discussion included a clarification that earlier documents in the district’s system might show a $25,000 record that did not reflect the full set of Envision contract actions from the prior year. Discussion versus decision: the substantive exchange was a request for funding source and a staff explanation of historical spending and rate increases; the formal action was approval of the Envision contract for 2025—26.