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Board ratifies Kinship Academy contract amid questions over $205,587 placement
Summary
Trustees ratified a 2025–26 contract with Kinship Academy (a nonpublic school) but pressed staff for cost comparisons after one trustee cited a $205,587.50 per-student figure; staff said placements reflect IEP recommendations and county SELPA rates and said about 10 district students are placed out of district.
The Franklin-McKinley School District board ratified a contract with Kinship Academy for the 2025–26 school year on Aug. 26, while several trustees raised concerns about high per-student costs for nonpublic-school placements.
Trustee Cooper asked about a line item that has previously listed costs of more than $188,000 for a student; she referenced a new figure of "$205,587.50 for one student" and asked what steps staff had taken to see if that student's needs could be served in-district. Business-services staff replied that these placements are driven by individualized education program (IEP) recommendations, the district may not have the specialized capacity in-house, and that many nonpublic-school (NPS) agencies specialize in particular programs. Staff added that NPS rates are standardized through the county SELPA and that sometimes the district refers a single student to county or regional programs rather than trying to build an in-district program for one or two students.
Superintendent Nick Cruz said staff regularly review the possibility of bringing students back into district programs and cited recent efforts to expand counseling and related services; he told trustees that while returning some students to district sites is possible, "we can't hire people as quickly as the services are necessary" when placements are urgent. When asked for the number of students placed in NPS settings, staff estimated "It's usually around 10," and offered to provide more detailed cost and placement data by email.
The board voted to ratify the contract by voice vote. Trustees asked staff for follow-up reporting with a count of students placed in nonpublic schools, recent cost comparisons, and what program expansions might reduce future out-of-district placements.
