Committee approves April minutes and three pupil‑services contracts, including $22,000 annual special‑education retainer

The West Chester Area School District Teaching, Learning and Equity Committee approved the April 15 minutes and three pupil‑services contracts at its May meeting.

The committee approved a renewal with Sweet Stevens Katz & Williams for special‑education legal services. The agreement is described as a pool‑counsel retainer providing trainings and general legal advice (not student‑specific legal representation) and is budgeted at $22,000 per year.

The committee also approved a three‑year contract with Pediatric Therapeutic Services (PTS), which the presenter said is now owned by Kelly Services. District staff said the district has used PTS for about 15 years for occupational therapy and physical therapy services and contracts them periodically for speech and bilingual school psychology support. The presenter reported the district ran a request for proposals this year, received about 14–15 responses, interviewed finalists and ultimately recommended remaining with PTS. The district said the contract would cover the 2025‑26 through 2027‑28 school years.

A third approved item added an unnamed interpretation and translation vendor to the district’s roster. The presenter said the additional vendor is intended to help during busy periods such as conferences and report‑card distributions, when the district sometimes cannot secure enough translators.

All three contract approvals were presented as action items and carried without recorded opposition. Committee members noted the difficulty of finding bilingual school psychologists; the presenter said the district sometimes works with the Chester County Intermediate Unit to fill those roles.

Votes at a glance - Approval of April 15 minutes — Outcome: approved; tally: 3 yes, 0 no. - Sweet Stevens Katz & Williams — Purpose: pool special‑education counsel (trainings/general legal advice); amount: $22,000 per year (as stated); Outcome: approved; tally: 3 yes, 0 no. - Pediatric Therapeutic Services (PTS) — Purpose: related services (OT/PT, occasional speech and bilingual school psychology); term stated as 2025‑26 through 2027‑28 school years (as presented); Outcome: approved; tally: 3 yes, 0 no. - Additional interpretation/translation provider — Provider: not specified; Purpose: expand translation/interpretation capacity for conferences/report cards and other needs; Outcome: approved; tally: 3 yes, 0 no.

Committee chair and members called each vote aloud and recorded the 3‑0 tallies. No formal mover/second was recorded in the meeting transcript for these votes.