School committee approves $650,000 extension for agency paraprofessionals after months of staffing shortfalls

The Farver School Committee voted April 29 to continue its contract with Maxim Staffing Services to cover paraprofessional staffing shortages through the end of the 2024–25 school year, approving approximately $650,000 in additional funds to maintain current agency staffing levels.

The committee’s action follows months of high vacancy rates that Superintendent Tracy Curley reported in her hiring update: the district listed 129 total vacancies, including 66 teacher and 53 paraprofessional openings. Curley and special‑education leaders told the committee that middle‑school substantially separate classrooms have been the hardest to staff and that agencies currently supply many of those paraprofessionals.

Committee members said they supported the contract extension as an urgent, short‑term step to keep programs running and students supported, but several used the discussion to press the administration for long‑term fixes. Colin Dias, a committee member, said the district should pursue higher pay and other incentives so candidates choose district positions rather than agency work. "People are not going to apply for a $26,000‑a‑year position when they can make substantially more elsewhere," Dias said. Several members urged piloting higher district pay rates for high‑need paraprofessional roles and a signing/referral bonus program to recruit staff.

District officials described ongoing efforts to convert agency staff to district employees after probationary hours, recruit through job fairs and college channels, and partner with agencies to negotiate buy‑out or transition terms for high‑performing agency staff. The administration also said it is pursuing partnerships with local colleges for certificate programs (for example, an autism‑focused certificate) to give paraprofessionals clearer training pathways.

Some members asked the committee’s legal counsel to review whether agency fees or contracts raise consumer‑protection questions; that idea was discussed at length but did not become a formal, standalone directive in the meeting minutes. The committee did ask the administration to return with more detailed cost comparisons, projection tables for next fiscal year staffing costs, and options to reduce agency reliance.

The motion on the Maxim Staffing Services continuation was approved by roll call (members present voting in favor as recorded at the time of the vote). The contract extension will fund agency paraprofessionals through the end of the current school year while the district continues active recruitment and conversion strategies.

Committee members emphasized that the contract funds are not a long‑term solution and urged further action in budget planning for FY26 to increase direct hiring and raise district wages where needed.

Sources: School committee meeting transcript, April 29, 2025; Superintendent hiring update; committee roll‑call votes recorded in meeting minutes.