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Board reviews proposed master agreement with NIU for speech‑language services as staffing backup
Summary
Administration proposed a multi‑year master services agreement with Northern Illinois University to provide supervised graduate SLP screenings, evaluations and direct services as a cost‑effective backup to district hiring; board gave consensus to return with the agreement for action.
Kyle Graves, Director of Student and Family Services, presented a proposed master service agreement with Northern Illinois University’s Speech, Language and Hearing clinic to provide screenings, evaluations and supervised practicum services through June 30, 2028.
Graves explained the agreement would let NIU graduate students work under supervision to perform screenings, autism‑specific evaluations and direct services in district schools. He said the district sometimes struggles to recruit licensed speech‑language pathologists (SLPs) and that contracting with NIU is a more cost‑effective method in some circumstances than hiring higher‑cost contracted SLPs. Graves gave an illustrative comparison: a high‑end bilingual SLP coverage for an extended leave could cost as much as $58,000, while NIU‑based services for screenings and some evaluations would be less expensive.
Board members asked about contract length (Graves said it would run through 06/30/2028) and anticipated annual cost (dependent on staffing needs and leaves). Graves said the district would continue to prioritize hiring full‑time SLPs but would use NIU for screenings and to fill gaps when a hire is not feasible.
The board indicated consensus to bring the agreement back for consideration; no binding contract was approved at the meeting.
