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Board approves several staffing actions; creates occupational therapist position and reduces hours on a consultant contract amid budget concerns
Summary
Taylor County School Board approved multiple personnel items including creation of a 7.5-hour, 10-month occupational therapist position to replace a contracted role, and a one-year, reduced-hours contract for a consultant (Miss Valentine). Board members raised questions about funding sources, FTE projections and community-education costs.
The Taylor County School District Board of Education approved a package of personnel actions that included creating a 7.5-hour, 10-month occupational therapist (OT) position under district employment and approving a one-year contract adjustment for an existing consultant, Miss Valentine, reducing the maximum hours from 300 to 200.
Staff told the board the OT role had previously been provided under contract, and converting it to a district position — funded from the general fund — is expected to produce savings (staff cited an estimate of approximately $25,000, including benefits). Board members asked whether IDEA or other grants could cover the position; staff said the position will come from the general fund because the available grant funds are insufficient.
On the consultant contract, district staff reported Miss Valentine had worked roughly 129 hours this year and that the proposed renewal would cap the contract at 200 hours to avoid budget overruns. A board member recorded that budgetary concerns motivated support for the reduced-hours renewal, although the member expressed unease about paying both a salary and contract while constrained by budget pressure.
Separately, board members discussed personnel position numbering and FTE forecasting: staff said the district is using Department of Education projections (February counts) to construct staffing plans, which may be lower than actual enrollment the district is seeing; board members requested clarification of master position control and how position numbers map to program areas (for example, PE versus elementary-certified positions). Members also asked staff to provide a cost analysis of community-education placements and hours used last year and estimated how many students might return next year, citing concern about the district expense of outplacements.
The motions to approve the OT position, the adjusted contract hours for Miss Valentine, and a series of reappointments were approved by the board.
