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Board hears proposal to transfer day treatment operations to Youth Haven to close $858,000 shortfall
Summary
District staff presented a plan to shift clinical operations for the day treatment program to Youth Haven, removing a projected $858,000 deficit from the school budget while keeping students enrolled in Rockingham County Schools and assigning a district EC teacher to serve IEP students.
Miss Olsen presented the board with a plan to transfer day treatment operations to Youth Haven as a way to eliminate a projected $858,000 deficit in the program.
"Last year, we had $207,000 that when we looked at how much it cost versus the revenue we brought in, it was 207,000 that we were short. This year, we're projecting 858,000," Miss Olsen said, explaining that Youth Haven would assume clinical treatment and instruction while the district would retain student enrollment and provide a full‑time exceptional‑children (EC) teacher for students with IEPs.
Under the proposal, Youth Haven would take on clinical responsibility as of July 1; staff would be reassigned or offered positions in the district where possible, and the plan envisions students beginning at the New Vision site on August 3. The presenter said the district and Youth Haven would execute a memorandum of understanding to define responsibilities and billing procedures, including Medicaid billing for transportation and services.
Board members pressed for operational details. Paul Moore asked how Youth Haven plans to staff licensed clinicians and whether assessments or intake could be done virtually. Miss Olsen said Youth Haven is recruiting staff now and would post openings once the board approves the transfer. She also said the partnering organization has flexibility to run year‑round programming, which can improve Medicaid billing compared with the district's summer schedule.
Board members and staff discussed contingency plans if Youth Haven’s model fails to sustain itself financially. Miss Olsen described options including expanding TLC classrooms inside district schools or rebuilding an in‑district day treatment model, but she warned that those options would require licensing and Medicaid approval and could take time to implement.
Transportation costs and billing were also discussed; Miss Olsen said transportation previously cost about $11,000 and that Medicaid reimbursement depends on optimized comprehensive clinical assessments. She said staff have been consulted and that human resources would work with employees on next steps if the board approves the transfer.
The board did not vote on the proposal at the work session; Miss Olsen said the district will present the item for board decision at the June 8 meeting.
What’s next: The board will consider the operational transfer and associated budget amendments at its June 8 meeting; if approved, Youth Haven would assume clinical duties July 1 and students would start in the new setting in August.
