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Board approves $120,192.50 Cambrium assessment invoice after debate over state-mandated testing costs
Summary
Board members debated whether to pay a $120,192.50 Cambrium invoice for ELL/ELPA assessments, with concerns raised about general fund impact and vendor selection; administrators said the assessment is state-mandated and the vendor is state-selected. The motion passed 6–1 on a roll-call vote.
The Sioux City Community School District board on Aug. 12 approved payment of $120,192.50 to Cambrium Assessment for 2023–24 English learner (ELPA/ELL) assessments after a contentious discussion about funding and vendor selection.
Director Hammock urged the board to vote against the invoice, arguing the district is stretched thin in the general fund and that recurring vendor invoices reduce the money available for hiring teachers. Hammock said the district should consider pushing back on unfunded mandates or exploring lower-cost assessment options while a newly reorganized ELL department demonstrates its capacity to deliver instruction and evaluation.
District staff and other board members pushed back that this invoice covers services already rendered and that the district did not select the vendor; the state selects the provider for the assessment, and the district is billed for its portion. Patty Blankenship (finance) and administrators said the state pays a portion and then passes the remaining cost to districts; administrators and an instructional leader said the assessment is required to place new students, measure growth and document linguistic development for school performance profiles.
After discussion, the board conducted a roll-call vote: the motion to approve payment passed 6–1. The dissenting vote was Director Emphy (recorded as a ‘no’ on the roll call), who had urged fiscal caution.
Board members discussed pursuing legislative remedies as a longer-term approach to state-mandated assessment funding but approved payment on the immediate invoice because the services have been completed and the district is obligated to pay.
Next steps noted by staff included gathering information about minimum assessment requirements and options for future administrations.
