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Board reviews software renewals and costly Sierra School placement; district seeks high-cost state reimbursements
Summary
Bryan ISD staff recommended selective renewals of instructional software (reducing MAP, increasing Eduphoria) and reviewed SESI/Sierra School services for high-need students (roughly $850,000 total cost); staff said they will apply for state high-cost funds and use contracted services where vacancies exist.
Dr. Ibarra presented the board with the annual review of operational and supplemental instructional software purchases over $50,000 and updates on specialized services. She said most purchases are funded by federal grants or specific state allocations and that this year the district is reducing MAP assessment coverage to early grades (K–2 with literacy through grade 4), cutting that line from about $220,000 to roughly $86,000, while increasing Eduphoria from about $60,000 to roughly $100,000 for test banks and assessment tools.
Dr. Ibarra also reviewed supplemental curricula: HMH Read 180 (intervention curriculum) and Read Horizons (phonics/dyslexia materials). She said Bryan ISD received a $2,000,000 dyslexia grant that originally funded Read Horizons; the ongoing online library costs about $120,000 annually and serves K–3 classrooms.
Staff briefed trustees on SESI (Sierra School), a contracted specialized program for students with significant behavioral needs with a 20-student capacity. The district reported an $850,000 package cost for the program (teachers, assistants, social worker, climate manager, director). Staff said the Sierra School enrollment and services have reduced district staffing needs in some areas by moving contracted supports into the program and that some contracted service providers were later hired as district employees. Bryan ISD staff said they will pursue state high-cost fund reimbursements (an individual-student threshold mentioned around $36,000) but cautioned approvals are not guaranteed and decisions may not be known until July.
Trustees questioned referrals, caseload counts (staff cited 23 unique students in a described period) and whether claimed staffing savings were realized given vacancies. Staff said contracted services were used to neutralize costs tied to vacancies and in some cases provided a transition path to hiring high-quality personnel as district employees.
