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Perryton ISD reports progress on TEA plan and explores hiring speech-path staff to reduce contracts
Summary
Special education staff told the board the district's PLAAFP statements have improved as it works through a TEA plan; the district is evaluating hiring speech-pathology assistants and therapists directly to reduce reliance on contractors.
Perryton ISD special education staff reported progress on the district’s TEA plan and described staffing changes the district is pursuing to expand in-house services and reduce contract costs.
Miss Shukla said the district’s PLAAFP (present levels of academic achievement and functional performance) statements have shown dramatic improvement and that the district is working toward completing its three-part TEA plan by January. She said the next cyclical monitoring for the district would be in five years once the plan is closed out.
On staffing, the special education report said a speech-pathology assistant can provide face-to-face services but cannot perform major testing and paperwork that a certified speech-language pathologist would complete. Staff reported they have leads on therapists who might be employed directly by the district, which they said would lower the district’s contract costs with outside providers if hires are made.
Shukla also said district special education staff are monitoring maintenance-of-effort requirements to ensure the district spends the mandated local and state share that corresponds to federal special education funds. She said the CFO has been a resource on that work and that other districts have had more maintenance-of-effort issues than Perryton.
No formal hires were announced; staff described the status as exploratory and said they were pursuing candidates and potential employment arrangements.
