Board approves slate of 2026–27 vendor contracts including health, special‑education and staffing services

At the July 27 meeting the education committee chair read a long set of proposed contracts and renewals for the 2026–27 school year and the board approved the slate after questions. Items included a proposed agreement with Thomas Reuters CLEAR (fee amount read aloud and corrected in discussion), dental services from Dr. Sonia Barbosa Ruiz not to exceed $21,000 plus materials, a renewal with Exello starting Aug. 1, 2026 for $17,911.56, Delta T group agreements for nursing services, staffing renewals with General Health Resources, an urgent care agreement for sports physicals at $60 per student with a not‑to‑exceed $12,000 annual cap, and a named contract with Denver Educational Strategies to provide emotional support services (as read in the transcript, a base cost figure was stated as roughly $850,000). The committee items were recorded as subject to solicitor review where noted.

Board members probed several cost and scope questions during the discussion: how Exello is used for tracking student progress; whether the $12,000 cap on sports physicals was sufficient and how recipients would be chosen; and whether contracting for psychologists and related clinicians was more expensive than hiring in‑house staff. Staff said some agreements are "as needed" and that contracted rates reflect the absence of benefits and the difficulty of recruiting licensed professionals.