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Amador SELPA reports persistent vacancies; county employs extensive-support staff while district employs mild–moderate teachers
Summary
SELPA leaders told the governing board they are carrying dozens of vacancies, that many designated instructional services (speech, OT) are employed by the county office while mild–moderate special-education teachers are district employees following a 2020 transfer, and that vacancies are reflected in the draft budget assumptions.
Amador SELPA leaders told the governing board that the SELPA is operating with a substantial number of vacancies and that the unique local employment arrangement — county-employed designated instructional services and extensive-support staff, district-employed mild–moderate teachers — shapes both service delivery and budgeting.
The staffing update presented to the board showed current vacancies and an estimate of anticipated vacancies next year. Board members were told the county side had 11 vacancies this year and the district side 5; projections discussed in the presentation showed 14 county vacancies and 9 district vacancies for the following year if current staff departures and anticipated transitions are realized. Presenters said the SELPA budget for salaries and benefits presented earlier (about $12.4 million in the staffing slides) does not include compensation for vacant positions, and the budget therefore assumes the vacancies will remain unfilled for the coming year.
Why it matters: SELPA staff said contracted services (especially speech services) are a large share of county-side spending because many of the designated instructional services positions are county-employed and several positions are vacant; when vacancies exist the SELPA uses contract providers to fulfill some services.
Employment split and history: Superintendent Jared Critchfield told the board the district and county jointly agreed in February 2020 to transfer some special-education employees so that mild–moderate teachers would be district employees while extensive-support-need teachers and designated instructional services (DIS) providers — speech-language pathologists, occupational therapists and similar roles — would remain county employees. Critchfield said the transfer was implemented in November 2020; the stated reasons included reducing situations where the district’s budget appeared to be double-counting expenses when funds flowed between district and county payrolls, and to better align budgets and services.
Staffing and recruitment efforts: Presenters said they are collaborating with human resources on recruitment and retention and that recent job fairs and interviews are underway. The SELPA update noted that many hiring panels and interviews are led by site principals, and that the SELPA and HR are pursuing initiatives to improve retention. Board members asked whether planned hires for the coming year were included in the annual budget assumptions; staff replied the draft budget did not include filling the current vacancies but that budget adoption later in the year could reflect adjustments if new hires are expected.
Ending: Board members pressed staff for periodic updates and asked about efforts to reduce reliance on contractors. Staff said recruitment efforts are actively underway and that they expect to report additional details during budget adoption later this year.
