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Trustees table contract for external chair of special-education meetings after questions over cost and oversight
Summary
Board members questioned an outside contractor proposed to chair CPSE/CSC special-education meetings, citing cost, oversight and family-facing responsibilities; the board voted to table the contract pending CVs, a distribution of meetings and a clearer budget.
Trustees on the Hastings-on-Hudson Board of Education paused a proposed contract Dec. 15 to hire an outside professional to chair Committee on Special Education (CSE/CSC) meetings.
Board discussion centered on scope, cost and community-facing responsibilities. Staff explained the proposed contractor would chair many CPSE/CSC meetings through the end of the school year to cover workload while the district operates with a reduced assistant-director staffing level. Staff said the consultant would be bilingual, perform premeeting work and write reports; one example of an outside hire previously used was Laura Sullivan.
Trustees asked for more information before voting: several asked for the contractor’s resume or CV, a clearer cost breakdown and the distribution of meetings that remain internal versus outsourced. One trustee noted concern about an outside contractor making procedural decisions at emotionally fraught meetings: “I would be resentful if I didn’t like that decision, if this was like an outside person,” and asked how families would be safeguarded from unexpected outcomes.
Staff estimated the contract’s cost at roughly $40,000 based on anticipated days and duties (preparation, meeting attendance, and report writing), and said the contractor would be paid only for actual work performed, with a February start date anticipated. Administrators also said an additional retired psychologist would be available for some meetings.
Given those outstanding questions, the board tabled business items 3 and 6 to allow staff to bring back: contractor CV(s), a clear distribution of which meetings will be run internally and which externally, final contract dates and a specific cost breakdown. At least one public commenter and several trustees supported seeing the detailed materials before approval.
The administration said it will provide the requested materials and present the full plan at the board’s Jan. 13 meeting.
