Board approves managed‑services contract for related itinerant and nursing providers over board concerns

The Winston‑Salem/Forsyth County Schools board voted 6–3 on June 10 to approve a managed‑services contract intended to centralize and staff related itinerant services (speech‑language pathologists, sign language interpreters, and other specialists) and nursing support.

District staff said the contract is intended to streamline procurement, invoicing and provider availability for about 165 related and itinerant providers who support special education and EC programs. Special Education officials told the board that the current mix of many small vendors and individual contracted providers made it difficult to ensure consistent staffing and timely start‑of‑school services; the managed model is designed to provide a larger pool of available full‑time providers and centralized payroll/invoicing.

Several board members and public commenters raised concerns that a managed vendor model requires participating independent agencies or contractors to pay a management fee (up to 5 percent was cited during discussion) and that the arrangement could reduce take‑home pay for individual providers. Board member Kim asked whether the district could instead increase direct pay to attract more direct hires; staff replied that total direct‑hire cost (including retirement and benefits) versus contractor pay packages can make recruiting certain specialized classifications difficult, and that some providers prefer contractor arrangements for personal reasons.

Vice Chair Bohannon, who moved the motion, emphasized operational benefits: reducing the number of vendors the district must pay and consolidating billing could reduce administrative work and shorten vendor payment cycles during a period when the district has faced delayed payments. Opponents said the arrangement risks shrinking provider earnings and argued the district should prioritize direct hiring. Staff said they will phase direct hires where possible and will report back on conversions.

The board required transition reporting and directed staff to provide a follow‑up report with: numbers of direct hires versus contracted positions, the timeline for transitioning providers, invoicing and payment performance metrics, and assurances about continuity of care for students. The motion passed 6–3.

Ending: Staff will execute the contract and return to the board with a transition report by mid‑August that lists providers by status and documents the plan to preserve or increase full‑time direct employment where feasible.