Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Student Services topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Board approves contracts for bilingual, mental-health and evaluation services
Summary
The board approved a slate of contracts and renewals to expand student supports, including bilingual substance-abuse screening, bilingual special-education evaluations, interpretation and translation services, 1:1 nursing, trauma-informed professional development (not to exceed $35,000), and school-based therapy provided by Family Services of Chester County.
Kennett administrators asked the board to approve multiple service agreements and renewals to support students’ health, behavioral needs and special-education evaluations. The board approved annual contracts and independent-contractor agreements during the June 10 meeting.
Contracts approved included an independent-contractor agreement with Jacqueline Owens to provide student physicals; an agreement with Guadalupe Mesa to provide bilingual substance-abuse screening and bilingual educational services; renewal of a contract with Kara Molasevich for bilingual special-education evaluation services; and agreements with Billings Bilingual and No Boundaries for interpretation and translation services.
The board also approved a renewal with Criticare for 1:1 nursing services, and extended the partnership with Trauma Informed Educators Network (TIEN) for district-level training and consultation on trauma-informed practices, implicit bias and cultural humility at a cost not to exceed $35,000. Family Services of Chester County was approved to continue school-based therapy, with a new tiered fee schedule that includes language and license-based differentials and provisions to include services in IEP and 504 documents to permit partial reimbursement.
Administrators explained that bilingual clinicians are in high demand; the district currently has approximately 2 bilingual clinicians of 5 total and expects to increase clinician staffing with grant support. Board members asked about referral triggers and consent for substance services; pupil-services staff described the student assistance program and referral/consent procedures.
Next steps: administration will execute the contracts and proceed with onboarding for the 2024–25 school year. Board members requested continued monitoring of bilingual clinician availability and service delivery.
