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District considers managed service provider to centralize special-education contractors
Summary
Executive director Jen Herbal proposed using a managed service provider to broker ESA contractors and billing; staff said it would not cost the district directly and could standardize rates and reduce administrative time, but procurement must follow federal/state bidding rules.
The Clover Park School District discussed a proposal to engage a managed service provider to act as a single broker for contracted educational‑service‑agency (ESA) staff such as school psychologists, occupational therapists and one‑to‑one paraprofessionals.
Jen Herbal, executive director for special education, early learning and nursing, told the board the district employs approximately 145 ESAs and relies on contractors for roughly 78 positions. She described national shortages and the administrative burden of working with about 23 separate agencies and multiple purchase orders. Herbal said a managed service provider would offer a single point of contact to handle recruiting, timekeeping and billing and could standardize contract rates across providers. "It would just be 1 broker agency," Herbal said, and she described the approach as "0 cost to the district" in operational terms because the broker is paid through contractor fees.
Herbal said districts that have used the model reported savings; she cited Bellevue’s reported savings and described last year’s district contractor spend as about "$7,200,000" (with some open purchase orders approaching $15,000,000 when fully used). Board members pressed on procurement process and employment status. Herbal said the district must publicly bid the contract because federal and state funds are used; she confirmed the proposed broker (named in discussion) is one firm the district has discussed with but that the district would conduct a competitive solicitation. Herbal explained the contractor staff remain employees of the contracting agencies, not of the district, and that hiring a contractor as a direct district employee after a period may require fees under existing agreements.
Board members asked whether the broker would employ staff directly; Herbal said contracted staff would still be employed by staffing agencies and that the broker would manage rostering, timekeeping and invoicing. The board also asked about in‑person versus virtual service delivery; Herbal said the district prioritizes finding local, in‑person providers but is constrained by regional shortages.
Why it matters: The change could reduce administrative workload, standardize hourly rates, and potentially produce savings that could be redirected to training or services. It also raises procurement and oversight questions because the district would be contracting for a broker using federal and state funds.
Ending: Herbal said staff will pursue a bid process consistent with federal/state procurement rules and return with a resolution for board consideration if appropriate.
