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Camdenton board approves year-long behavior specialist consulting contract for early childhood supports
Summary
The board approved a one-year consulting contract for a behavior specialist to provide coaching, staff workshops and classroom observations focused on early childhood special education and functional skills classrooms; contract cost and billing terms were discussed.
The Camdenton R-III Board of Education approved a one-year consulting agreement to bring a behavior specialist into the district this school year to support early childhood special education (ECSE) classrooms and functional life-skills classrooms.
District staff described the work as professional development and coaching rather than direct student therapy initially: the consultant will observe classrooms, meet with teachers, assist in drafting behavior intervention plans for identified special education students, provide modeling and feedback on preventative and individualized strategies, and offer staff workshops on classroom behavior supports and de-escalation strategies. The district said the consultant would be on site approximately one day per week during the first semester and the contract would be reevaluated at semester end.
Budget and contract terms were discussed: a total package figure of about $181,870 was presented in one part of the discussion (with an additional $900 listed for professional development and mileage billed separately). The consultant's billing rate for some services was cited as $100 per hour for ongoing support; the district described the annual package and hourly fees as planned in this year's budget and said the cost could be managed through internal transfers if needed.
Board members asked whether the consultant's work would remove teachers from instruction time (staff said meetings would occur during planned/planning time), whether the consultant would provide reimbursable direct services under Medicaid if the district later chose that route (staff said the consultant's BCBA credential would allow direct services and potential Medicaid reimbursement, but the district currently intended only indirect/professional development), and asked for a clarified agreement specifying the services for the first semester. The board approved the consent-item contract with modifications as discussed.
