Waunakee staff outline internal alternative-education pilot, propose leased vehicles for McKinney-Vento transport

District staff described plans for a small, district-run alternative-education placement and a revised transportation approach for students in McKinney-Vento (homeless and highly mobile) status during the board’s budget discussion.

The alternative-placement concept is intended to replace costly external placements. Staff said external placements can range from about $50,000 to $150,000 per student and that the district’s estimate for a small group of students this year could approach “almost a half a million dollars.” The proposed district model would start small — staff mentioned roughly four intermediate-school students as an initial cohort — and would be staffed by one dedicated teacher with some students continuing to use paraprofessionals already assigned in their home buildings.

Staff described the program location as space identified across from the district wellness clinic and said the site is “safe, easily accessible” with a receptionist on site, a side door that can be secured for student-only entry, a cafeteria and conference space for instruction and group activities, and room for therapy work. Staff also discussed partnering with community providers, mentioning the Waunakee Psychological Center and the use of therapy dogs and trauma-informed services.

On transportation, staff proposed leasing two vehicles to create a district-operated program for McKinney-Vento students. Staff said current contracted transportation runs cost more than $200 per day regardless of attendance; leasing district-run vehicles was presented as a more cost-effective approach that would provide consistent drivers and familiar faces for students.

Funding and staffing Staff said the third draft of the budget includes three full-time-equivalent positions added from the second draft to support the pilot: one teacher for the program, plus two paraprofessionals for incoming students who require one-to-one support. Staff also noted the draft increases contingency, OPEB contributions, and transportation budgets to support the changes.

Next steps The alternative-placement pilot and transportation proposal are included in the third draft the board approved to advance. Staff said they will refine costs as placement counts and transportation logistics are finalized and as the district finalizes the budget at subsequent steps.

Attribution and scope Details in this article come from the staff presentation during the budget discussion; the board did not adopt final contracts or a full program implementation plan at this meeting.