Queen Anne's County board approves FY26 special-education staffing plan and several therapy contracts
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Summary
The board approved a special education staffing plan required by MSDE/COMAR and several contracted related-service agreements — occupational therapy, speech providers and a temporary school psychologist — to address shortages and FMLA coverage ahead of the school year.
Jolene Smith, supervisor of special education for Queen Anne's County Public Schools, presented the district's special education staffing plan for the 2025—6 school year and the board voted to approve it on Aug. 6, 2025. Smith said the district enrolls about 7,750 students and that 882 students are identified with disabilities. The plan, required by the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) and COMAR, lays out service-delivery continuity from birth through age 21 and staffing allocations that include 48 special educators and nine IEP chairpersons for FY26.
Smith highlighted the district's partnership with the Midshore Special Education Consortium for related services such as occupational therapy, physical therapy and services for students who are visually or hearing impaired. She said inclusive placements remain the default and that more-restrictive placements (nonpublic or residential) are used only when an IEP team determines they are necessary. The staffing plan also described service counts in the infants-and-toddlers program (176 children served July—6 to June—30, up from 158) and continued compliance with federal SPP/APR requirements.
To address persistent local shortages of speech-language pathologists and other therapists, the board approved a series of budgeted contracts brought forward alongside the staffing plan:
- A contract with Williams Organization LLC for one occupational-therapy provider serving south-county schools, fiscal impact $101,175 (approved). - A contract with Chesapeake Speech for two speech providers to provide four days of speech services to Stevensville Middle School and Kent Island High School and part-time services to the infants-and-toddlers program, fiscal impact $156,840 (approved). - A contract with Pediatric Development Services (PDS) to supply a speech-language pathologist for Kennard Elementary and Sudlersville Middle, fiscal impact $126,350 (approved). - A limited contract with Salient to provide a school psychologist covering an FMLA vacancy from August through November, fiscal impact $52,500 (approved).
Board members asked about staffing models, shared IEP-chair arrangements for small schools, and whether contracting was more expensive than hiring FTEs. District staff said the local labor pool is insufficient to fill all required positions, forcing the use of contractors for specialized services; some contractors may travel or provide virtual services. Smith said placements and caseloads are monitored annually and adjustments will be made if enrollment or service needs change.
The board approved the staffing plan and the listed contracts by voice vote. The district indicated the contracts are budgeted in FY26 and described them as necessary to ensure service continuity as the school year begins.
