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Board debates buying seats at Phoenix for high-needs behavioral placements amid outplacement cost concerns
Summary
District staff recommended buying additional seats at Phoenix, a regional outplacement provider for behavior-focused students, citing limited capacity in-district for tier 2 and 3 students. Board members discussed cost, placement tiers and whether to expand in-district services.
District staff described a proposal to purchase additional seats at Phoenix, an outplacement provider that focuses on behavioral placements, and answered board members’ questions about capacity, cost and the district’s internal services.
The staff member leading the discussion said the district currently has one student at Phoenix and that buying seats (rather than paying per-day rates) allows the district to rotate students through the program as they show progress. The board heard that last year the district spent roughly $1.6 million on outplacements (excluding transportation) and that the average outplacement costs about $110,000 per student before transportation.
Staff explained placement tiers used by providers: tier 1 covers students with less frequent violent outbursts that potentially could be supported in-district; tier 2 involves students who have been through several placements or have additional factors such as autism plus behavior; tier 3 placements require more intensive staffing ratios (for example, three adults to one student). The staff member said the district currently has in-district capacity for some tier 1 students but limited or no capacity for tier 2 and tier 3 placements.
Board members asked whether Phoenix could terminate a student mid-placement and whether seats bought but unused pose a financial risk. Staff replied students are not simply dropped back into the district without a transition meeting; seats are expected to be used because regional capacity is constrained and the district currently has students waiting for placements in similar programs.
Why it matters: Outplacement decisions affect student services and district finances. Buying seats stabilizes access to placements for students with intense behavioral needs but commits district funds; expanding in-district capacity would require capital and operating investments.
What’s next: The consent agenda that included the outplacement authorization was approved by the board in this meeting; staff said further conversations about building in-district capacity and hiring additional behavior specialists are ongoing.
