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Littlestown Area SD board approves short-term licensed mental-health services after debate over cost
Summary
The board approved contracting a licensed therapist for targeted, short-term services (two days per week) intended for highest-need students despite members' concerns about the $715 daily rate and overall cost.
Unidentified Speaker 2, board member, moved to approve a short-term contract to provide licensed mental-health services for students; the board approved the motion by voice vote.
The contract describes services covering two days per week targeted to "the most needed and most intensive" students, not year-round coverage. Unidentified Speaker 3, superintendent, said the approach is a triage to allocate limited therapist time and that the district is prioritizing highest-need cases. "We're doing it for an attorney," the superintendent stated in the exchange recorded in the meeting, and later clarified that the contract "requires some licensed therapist." The transcript references a provider name (Dr. Piazzi) and the intent that licensed clinical staff deliver services.
Several board members raised the cost as a primary concern. Unidentified Speaker 1, board member, queried whether the contract was for a single person or a service and said, "$715 a day. That's a lot of money," and later noted the line-item amount calculated to $11,440 for a 16-day span. Board members and staff clarified that the contract, as written in the packet, covers services two days per week rather than a full year; the board would be approving the company for that specific rate and frequency.
The discussion also touched on internal decision authority for implementing the contract. One board member expressed concern that some operational decisions were being left to a single staff member (identified in the record as "Carrie"); another board member defended Carrie and asked colleagues to trust staff judgment. The board proceeded with a voice vote; an "Aye" was recorded during the meeting.
The board packet lists the FMX and monthly enrollment reports and the personnel/curriculum item tied to this contract for the record. The motion as recorded on the agenda moved forward without a roll-call breakdown in the available transcript; the voice vote was recorded as 'Aye.' The contract term, provider licensing requirement, two-days-per-week schedule, and the cited daily rate are the principal details included in the board discussion.
Next steps: staff will implement the contracted services per the terms approved and coordinate triage selection for students identified as highest need.
