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Concord School District seeks additional OT, COTA and speech-assistant positions as caseloads rise
Summary
Staff presented requests for a 0.4 occupational therapist (OT), a certified occupational therapy assistant (COTA) and a full-time speech-language pathology assistant (SLPA) to address rising caseloads across district schools and high demand for evaluations and services.
The Concord School District presented personnel requests to address growing special-education caseloads, asking the board to add a 0.4 occupational therapist (OT), a certified occupational therapy assistant (COTA) and a full-time speech-language pathology assistant (SLPA).
District staff said caseloads for occupational therapy and speech services have increased in recent years and now exceed national averages in some buildings, stretching current staff and reducing service capacity.
John Fabrizio, a district staff member presenting the special-education slides, said the district currently has seven full OTs to cover all buildings and that individual caseloads often exceed 40–50 students. "I'm asking for a 0.4 OT and then, SLPA and a COTA is what the ask is," Fabrizio said. He told the board that a COTA can provide services but not assessments and must be supervised by an OT.
Presenters showed building-level breakdowns: one school has an OT with about 47 students; another has a half-time OT plus a 0.4 assistant covering roughly 33 students; the middle school caseloads are particularly high. Fabrizio said preschool generates a high number of assessments, which increases the need for credentialed OTs who can perform evaluations.
The district also described speech services: 13 certified speech-language pathologists and one SLPA are on staff, with caseloads varying by building. Board members requested units-of-service data (service "units" rather than head counts) to better compare workload across grades and buildings.
Staff said the requested positions would be districtwide, moved as needed to match caseloads. Budget details for the positions, including salary and benefits, were said to appear on a later personnel slide.
The board asked for additional breakdowns by units of service and for confirmation of where part-time positions are already placed. Presenters agreed to provide the requested unit-level data and to include personnel cost details in the personnel slides.
The board did not take action on the staffing requests at the work session; staff said the requests will be included in the personnel section of the proposed budget and discussed again at upcoming meetings.
