Board approves additional special-education paraprofessionals to support two students

The Manitowoc School District board approved adding paraprofessional support for two students who require one-on-one assistance, voting to authorize staff to fill additional special-education paraprofessional positions.

According to a staff explanation in the meeting, two newly enrolled students with individualized education programs require support for bathroom needs, eating supervision and other one-on-one care. The staff memo — presented without identifying student details to protect privacy — described the request as for “2 additional pair of special ed paraprofessionals to support these 2 different students at 2 different buildings.” That phrasing in the transcript is ambiguous about whether the request is for two individual paraprofessionals or two pairs (four paraprofessionals).

Board Member 1 moved to approve the addition of paraprofessionals; Board Member 4 seconded. During discussion a board member referenced an estimated cost figure, saying, in the transcript, “It’s $93.93 93,000 for each,” and later noted the figure was a high-end estimate and that benefit costs could vary. The speaker said the actual cost may come in lower.

The motion passed by voice vote; the transcript records members answering “aye” but does not include a roll-call tally or named votes.

The board did not specify funding sources or an implementation timeline in the recorded discussion. A follow-up task for staff to finalize hiring details, benefits assumptions and budgetary impact was implied by the discussion but not recorded as a formal direction in the provided transcript.