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Seneca County approves contracts to restore preschool speech services
Summary
The county approved a renewal with a contract speech-language provider and an agreement with Seneca Falls School District to deliver state-mandated preschool related services, focusing initially on speech therapy for UPK children with IEPs.
Seneca County supervisors voted Aug. 26 to renew a contract with speech-language services provider Kelly Shermer and to authorize an agreement with the Seneca Falls Central School District so mandated preschool students can receive related services.
A county program supervisor told the Health and Human Services committee staff had mistakenly listed additional special-education itinerant teacher services on the Shermer contract; those services cannot be provided outside school hours under the provider’s licensing arrangement. The supervisor said, “we'd like to renew our contract with, Kelly Shermer to provide speech language therapy services, for the preschool program.” The committee approved the renewal.
Committee members also approved a separate intergovernmental agreement with Seneca Falls so the district can provide related services to Universal Pre-Kindergarten (UPK) children who have individualized education plans. A county presenter described the item as new for Seneca Falls and said the initial focus will be providing speech services for UPK students with IEPs.
Both motions were moved and seconded on the record and carried with voice votes.
The actions restore a shortfall in speech-language coverage for the county’s state-mandated preschool program, according to committee remarks. The county presentation said the need is driven by a shortage of speech-language therapists available outside school hours and by the program’s legal obligation to arrange related services for eligible preschool children.
The committee did not provide contract dollar totals in the discussion. Details about contract length, exact dollar amounts or whether the county will seek additional providers were not specified in the meeting record.
Looking ahead, staff said they will proceed with formalizing the contracts and coordinating service schedules with the school district.
