Lewisburg Area SD board approves expansion of Cartwheel teletherapy seats

The Lewisburg Area School District board voted to expand its Cartwheel teletherapy contract, adding 15 paid seats and one additional pro‑bono slot for uninsured families, the board heard at its Dec. 1 meeting.

Superintendent‑level administrators told the board Cartwheel had been funded initially through a Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD) grant. Speaker 2 said the district had about $9,500 remaining in the grant and reallocated that funding to cover most of the expanded contract. "This also adds 1 additional pro bono slot," Speaker 2 said, explaining the district can continue to assist families without insurance.

Board members asked about usage patterns. An auditor‑style question from Speaker 8 asked whether seats were concentrated in particular buildings; administrators said utilization is roughly split across the district’s four buildings, about 22–25% each. "We're seeing most of the traffic go towards Cartwheel," Speaker 2 said, noting prior in‑person counseling contracts saw lower usage this past year.

Administrators framed the expansion as a response to demand: Cartwheel referrals come from school counselors and can support younger students and parents. The board moved and approved the contract expansion after a roll‑call confirmation.

The approval followed discussion of curriculum frameworks (adopted by voice vote) and routine agenda items. The district will implement the additional Cartwheel seats and monitor seat utilization across buildings; the record did not specify an exact contract value beyond the reallocated grant balance or the vendor contract number.