Board approves $1.129 million contract amendment with Gersh Academy for special-education placements

The Seattle School Board on Feb. 11 approved an amendment to the district's contract with Gersh Academy to fund private placement and therapeutic-day services for students who require more restrictive settings.

Vice President Briggs moved — and Director Mizrahi seconded — a motion authorizing the superintendent to approve a $154,056 amendment for a revised total contract amount of $1,129,056, with any minor modifications deemed necessary by the superintendent. The board discussed the item after Director Song removed it from the consent agenda for more detailed questioning.

Devin Gurley, Executive Director of Special Education and Inclusion, described the district's oversight for nonpublic agencies: regional and behavioral-support teams provide coaching and review before nonpublic agency placement decisions are made; OSPI requires at least one site visit a year for approved nonpublic agencies and Seattle conducts local visits quarterly for local NPAs. Gurley also explained the state "safety net" reimbursement process: individual student costs that exceed roughly $38,000 may qualify for state safety-net funding after a district cost share (about $19,000) is reached; the district reported it typically receives about 90% of the safety-net sums it requests.

Directors asked for more aggregate reporting on NPA contracts and the types of services contracted. Director Rankin and others said recurring one-off discussions about individual contracts limit the board's ability to oversee broader trends and asked staff to prepare a future, aggregated briefing on special-education contracting.

The motion passed unanimously by roll call.