The Lawrence County School Board on Oct. 23 approved a package of budget and personnel items that included adding two full‑time speech‑language pathology positions to the district payroll.

District special education staff told the board the district currently employs eight speech‑language pathologists and is contracting two additional clinicians to manage overflow. “We have 8 that are district wide,” said a district special‑education staff member who addressed the board, adding that some clinicians are covering multiple schools and reporting caseloads above recommended levels.

Why it matters: staff and board members described caseloads substantially above the professional benchmark cited to the board. The district referenced a 2024 American Speech‑Language‑Hearing Association (ASHA) summary showing an overall manageable caseload of about 50 students; staff reported several individual caseloads above 60 and one over 100. Board members said the imbalance has legal and operational consequences because services specified in students’ individualized education programs must be provided.

Board discussion and staff explanation: Director Michael Atkins and district special‑education staff described a continuing rise in referrals and special‑education eligibility, driven in part by limited external clinical capacity in the region. “We start servicing kids at age 3 and we carry them through their 22nd birthday,” the special‑education staff member said, noting that medical providers’ long wait lists push families to seek school‑based services. Staff said contracted clinicians have helped but one contractor is reducing availability; district leaders said hiring full‑time staff is more cost‑efficient than continued contracting.

Financial and operational details: staff told the board contracted services had cost “in excess of $10,000” for one contractor and about $6,000 for another in recent months; the district said converting two contracted slots to full‑time employees would reduce contracted expenditures and add benefits and schedule stability. Staff estimated the district currently serves several hundred students with speech services across the county, and that adding two full‑time positions would relieve some, but not all, caseload pressure.

Board action: The board approved a motion to accept the package of items presented on the agenda (see “Votes at a glance” in related coverage). The vote carried with all members present voting in favor. Board members asked district staff to return with further budget options and a plan to move toward a more sustainable staffing level if demand continues to rise.

What’s next: Director Atkins and staff were asked to report back to the board with additional budget options and an implementation plan in coming months. The board expressed consensus that the district should continue efforts to recruit speech‑language pathologists and explore SLP assistant (SLPA) options to stretch capacity.