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Board signs off on physical-therapy contract and temporary RSP caseload agreement for special education students
Summary
Trustees approved an independent-contractor physical-therapy services agreement and a side letter allowing voluntary temporary increases to RSP teachers' caseloads with compensation, after staff said both steps are necessary to meet IEP obligations and staffing shortages.
The Placer Union High School District board approved two items to address special education service needs: an independent-contractor agreement for physical-therapy services and a side letter of agreement with the union to address higher-than-normal RSP (Resource Specialist Program) caseloads.
Trustee Underwood led a detailed exchange on the physical-therapy contract, noting the contract allows up to 391 hours of services with a not-to-exceed value of about $63,000. Special education staff said the contract covers direct therapy hours, consultation time, IEP attendance, assessment and report-writing and that the figure is an upper limit based on prior-year usage. Staff reported about a dozen students currently require physical-therapy services in the district; staff said the ``up to'' language provides flexibility if additional students with needs are enrolled during the year.
On RSP caseloads, staff described an overage of roughly four to six students across sites. Rather than immediately hiring a new part-time teacher, the district negotiated a voluntary side letter with the Associated Teachers of Placer that allows RSP teachers to take additional students in exchange for compensation; staff said the arrangement is voluntary and that the district will hire additional staff if caseloads become unmanageable.
Both measures were approved unanimously. Trustees emphasized that IEP services must be met and that the board expects staff to promptly address any situation in which student services cannot be delivered as required.
