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Board approves temporary contracts for special‑education coverage and updates school‑psychologist job descriptions
Summary
The Dickson County School Board approved two temporary contracts — a ProCare special education teacher and a Soliant speech‑language pathologist as gap hires — and approved revised job descriptions for school psychologists, including extended contract days; Soliant costs were estimated at $25,000–$30,000 for the period Sept. 29–February, the district said.
The Dickson County School Board on Sept. 25 approved two temporary contracts to fill difficult‑to‑hire positions and updated job descriptions for school‑psychologist roles.
Contracts: The board heard details of a ProCare therapy contract to provide a special‑education classroom teacher expected to start after fall break at Dixon Middle School as a temporary gap hire while the district continues to seek local candidates. Board members asked that governing‑authority language be clarified; the contract includes standard 30‑day notice language.
A second contract with Soliant was presented to provide a speech‑language pathologist. Speaker 12 said the Soliant contract covers the period from Sept. 29 through February and estimated the contracted cost at "between 25 and 30,000" dollars. The contract also includes a 30‑day notice clause; board members approved both contracts subject to final review by Mister Hall (board attorney or reviewer) and voted to carry the motions (all ayes).
Job‑description changes: Human resources (Doctor Johnson) presented two revised job descriptions. The school‑psychologist position was changed from a 200‑day to a 210‑day contract to allow 10 flex days for federally required testing timelines; lead school psychologist positions were set at an 11‑month/220‑day contract with supervisory responsibilities. The board moved and approved both job descriptions unanimously.
Budget impact and follow‑up: District staff said they had reallocated funds within the consolidated funding application to cover the contracted positions; however, the Soliant contract was described as "above our budget" and the district estimated the overage at $25,000–$30,000. The board approved the contracts with direction to finalize contract language and to have Mister Hall review and approve final contracts.
What’s next: The temporary contracts will start as scheduled; staff said they will continue to seek local hires and use the 30‑day termination provisions if a full‑time hire is made.
