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Board ratifies consulting agreement with Desario and Associates after public concerns over $250 hourly rate
Summary
The New Haven Unified School District board ratified an as‑needed professional services agreement with Desario and Associates to support the acting assistant superintendent of business, after public commenters and a trustee raised questions about the $250 hourly rate, lack of an end date and uncapped costs. Superintendent Dr. Thompson explained the need for continuity and offered monthly usage reports.
The New Haven Unified School District board on Feb. 18 ratified an as‑needed professional services agreement with Desario and Associates to provide consulting support to the acting assistant superintendent of business.
Gavin Smith, a teacher at James Logan High School, urged the board to pause item 12.3, saying he did not know the position had been vacant, he was unsure who would be acting chief of business and he objected to the contract’s $250 hourly rate plus travel expenses and the lack of a definitive end date or caps on costs. Parent Lydia Edom echoed the concerns, saying the district should prioritize funding for schools and students and hire a well‑qualified chief who would not need a high‑level consultant to perform basic duties.
Superintendent Dr. Thompson said the district’s chief business officer, Ned Hellman, announced retirement and that the district expects a gap of several months before a permanent replacement is onboarded. He said the district planned for Mister Matos to serve as acting CBO with support from Desario and Associates to ensure continuity in closing the current budget and preparing the 2025‑26 proposal. "We’ve been using it," Dr. Thompson said of the outside support, and he described $250 an hour as "fairly common" for professional services agreements the district already holds.
Trustee Freiberg said she was "not 100% comfortable" voting to ratify the contract as written and asked for additional stipulations. Dr. Thompson offered to provide monthly summaries of hours and usage and said the board could amend the contract later to add a cap on hours if desired. Several trustees signaled support for the superintendent’s offer to report on usage monthly. The board then voted to ratify the contract.
The ratified agreement is effective February 2025 and is described in the agenda as an as‑needed professional services agreement. Public commenters and at least one trustee had sought either a pause to review hiring procedures or additional contractual limits before approval. The board approved the ratification after the superintendent’s explanation and the offer to provide monthly reports on consultant hours.
What’s next: The superintendent said he would provide monthly usage reports on Desario and Associates’ hours; the board did not add an immediate cap but indicated it could consider amendments on a future agenda.
