Board presses district on rising Emergis bill for special-education staffing; approves amendment
Loading...
Summary
Trustees questioned a large increase in Emergis contract spending for special-education substitutes and 1:1 aides. District staff said the vendor covers temporary leaves and hard-to-fill roles; the board discussed and approved a contract amendment to increase funding for 2025–26.
Board members pressed district staff on Jan. 27 about a rising contract total with Emergis, the vendor that provides substitute and temporary staffing for special-education services. Vice President Bustos said the trajectory "is not a good thing" and asked for an explanation of the increase and whether it reflected vacancies or temporary leaves.
"Superintendent, can you please explain, why we're seeing an increase in this contract total?" Bustos asked. (Vice President Bustos, public transcript of board meeting.) District staff explained that Emergis provides ongoing services tied to leaves of absence (maternity, baby-bonding), coverage for psychologists and 1-on-1 aides, and that these are positions with high turnover and difficult recruitment. Staff said some positions are not vacancies (someone is in the seat but on leave), which requires temporary coverage to meet IEP obligations.
The administration noted the district has reduced reliance on Emergis over several years but is seeking to manage continuing needs and asked the board to allow an amendment to the contract for 2025–26. During discussion staff referenced an amendment figure of about $6,400,000 to the contract request as part of the consultant/contract listing review. Board members asked for vacancy-level data and a plan to reduce reliance on vendor staffing over time.
Vote/outcome: The consultant/contract listing (consent item 9.6) was separated and the Emergis item was called out and voted on separately; the listing amendment was approved (board vote recorded in the transcript as carrying with a majority; Ms. Lebsack recorded a "no" on at least one related vote). Staff committed to provide detailed vacancy and expenditure data to the board for further scrutiny.
Next steps: District staff will follow up with a breakdown of Emergis expenditures and vacancy/leave data so trustees can evaluate whether the increased spending reflects short-term leave coverage or a systemic shortage of permanent hires.
