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Board approves 0.81 FTE paraprofessional for elementary life-skills classroom
Summary
The Kalispell Board approved adding 0.81 FTE para support for an elementary life-skills classroom at Hedges after Special Services Director Shameya Bennett said enrollment reached 13 students; the position will be funded from the SPED tuition levy, not the general fund.
The Kalispell Board of Trustees voted to add 0.81 full-time-equivalent paraprofessional support to an elementary life-skills classroom at Hedges, citing rising enrollment and intensive student needs.
"We are sitting at 13 students, and that is a lot when we've got students with some pretty significant needs," Special Services Director Shameya Bennett told the board, describing staffing norms that call for two paras when enrollment is below eight and three paras when between eight and 12. Bennett said the additional paraprofessional is intended to maintain safety and appropriate adult supervision for students with severe disabilities.
Board members asked whether the 0.81 FTE addition reflects a permanent shift or a short-term response to recent moves; Bennett said there is some enrollment churn and the district retains flexibility (including reassigning students between Hedges and Peterson) but that current caseloads justify the hire. The presiding officer clarified funding: "these are funds that will be paid out of our SPED tuition levies, so this is not a general fund issue," and the board approved the motion by voice vote with no recorded roll call.
The action amends staffing for the elementary life-skills program and is limited to the elementary-level classroom structure described in the presentation. The board did not change any general-fund positions in this vote.
