Board hears plan to raise summer pay for special education evaluations and ESY services

Monica, a district staff member overseeing special education work, told the Oak Creek-Franklin Joint School District board that the district plans to increase summer pay rates to encourage staff to complete special education evaluations and Extended School Year (ESY) services.

Monica said the district proposed flat hourly rates of $47 and $57 for summer evaluation and ESY work to make pay more equitable and to address staffing challenges that have left some summer evaluations unfinished in other districts. She said federal law requires districts to complete special education evaluations and to provide ESY when an IEP team determines it is necessary; staff also referenced federal guidance and court decisions that inform ESY practice.

Monica and Troy (district staff) explained that the district expects fewer summer evaluations than last year because last summer included an atypical number of Birth-to-3 referrals and an unusually high number of school-age evaluations. They also said school psychologists have five contract days that the district is discussing using differently to target summer evaluation workload.

Board members asked how summer school and ESY services would be structured; Monica said summer school will continue and will include both specialized classes for significant learners and supports to include students with disabilities in enrichment classes. District staff said the special education parent advisory group will be reconvened and that staff will present an update on the special education audit on March 10.

At the meeting staff did not present a formal motion to adopt the new rates; the item was discussed as an informational situation report and listed as an action item for a future meeting.