Board approves Stepping Stones contract to run one intensive behavioral classroom starting Jan. 5

The Santa Rosa County School Board on Nov. 18 approved a contract with Stepping Stones Group to provide intensive behavioral supports for one classroom serving students in the Ability Learning Academy, with the program scheduled to begin Jan. 5, 2026.

Doug Mohs, chief clinical development officer for Stepping Stones Group, told the board the new Intensive Behavioral Student Services (IBSS) division is aimed at students with autism spectrum disorders and emotional/behavioral disorders who require intensive, individualized classroom supports. "We come bringing direct services, responding to those immediate needs that students have," Mohs said, describing a model that pairs a board-certified behavior analyst (BCBA) and credentialed special-education teacher with registered behavior technicians and classroom behavior technicians.

Nicole Nicard, Stepping Stones' director of clinical operations, described the proposed staffing: a BCBA program manager, a credentialed special-education teacher delivering academics for grades 5–12, three RBTs and three behavior technicians with a dedicated full-time substitute. "Our goal is to ensure that the classroom is ready by January 5 for when the students come," Nicard said.

Board members probed program scale, funding and data access. One board member noted prior contracts with High Road and asked how existing teachers would be affected; administration clarified that only that classroom is changing vendors and that High Road will continue other services. Mohs referenced past Stepping Stones implementations, saying an example aggregated case in California involved seven classrooms with roughly eight students per classroom. Administration told the board the new Stepping Stones classroom will serve about 10 students at a single school campus and that student-level records will remain in the district's systems; Stepping Stones will access district systems only for required classroom/IEP documentation and will collect classroom-level fidelity and outcome data.

Administrators explained funding: the board was told the district's High Road contract totals about $2.9 million and that approximately $700,000–$800,000 associated with the classroom being moved would be reallocated to the new Stepping Stones contract, which was described on the agenda as a little over $600,000. "We're taking the money from that program," one administrator said, describing it as a transfer of existing funds rather than a new net cost to the district.

After discussion, the board voted unanimously to approve the contract and related action items. The motion passed with no recorded dissents.

What happens next: Stepping Stones and district staff will complete onboarding activities, classroom setup and training during December and early January, and the program manager will begin monthly partnership meetings with the district's special-education leadership to review implementation fidelity and student outcomes.