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Board approves Edmentum online curriculum and increases reliance on staffing vendors as special‑education vacancies remain high
Summary
Trustees voted to adopt Edmentum (Courseware) to replace the district's current online platform for independent study and credit recovery; separate votes increased contracting for staffing agencies to fill dozens of instructional‑aide and LVN vacancies amid a national shortage.
The Paramount board approved a contract to adopt Edmentum (Courseware) as the district’s online curriculum platform for independent study and credit recovery at the high school level, following a pilot conducted at Buenav Vista.
District presenters said Edmentum provides a more rigorous set of A‑G‑aligned courses than the district’s prior platform (e‑genuity) and offers features intended to better support students with IEPs and English‑learner needs. Dr. Amanda Bentley, director of secondary education, and Buenv Vista staff described classroom support and pilot observations; trustees asked staff to return in the spring with pilot metrics (engagement, credit completion and A‑G alignment) to enable comparative analysis with the prior vendor.
Separately, the board approved an increase to a contract with a staffing agency to provide temporary instructional aides, substitute coverage and licensed vocational nurses. District administrators said they currently have approximately 80+ instructional‑aide vacancies, that substitute pools are thin and that a small number of students require one‑to‑one LVN support for medically timed needs. Administration officials described a nationwide shortage in special‑education paraprofessionals and nurses as a major driver of using contracted staffing rather than filling all roles with district hires immediately.
Board members pressed Human Resources staff for more aggressive local recruitment strategies, suggestions for making aide positions more competitive (longer shifts/benefits), and a cost‑comparison between contracted staff and district employees. Trustees emphasized the need to reduce expensive contract reliance over time and to report back on efforts to fill vacancies locally.
What happens next: District staff will implement Edmentum for 2026–27 and monitor pilot data; HR will continue active recruitment and report to the board on vacancy reductions and cost comparisons.
