Board approves nursing contract with Legacy Silverton Hospital Nursing Services

Brandon Larson, director of special services, presented the results of the district's nursing services RFP and recommended continuing the long-standing relationship with Legacy (Legacy Silverton Hospital Nursing Services). The review team (Brandon, Elise Hansen, Tony Rosales, Kim Kelson and Phil Wiesner) scored four proposals and recommended Legacy for its ability to provide consistent staff and dependable on-call coverage.

"I am Brandon Larson, director of special services, and I'm here to talk about the nursing RFP and our nursing contract for the 25-26 school year," Brandon said when he began the presentation. He told the board the district received four bids and that Legacy, with a local presence and continuity of personnel, scored highest and was recommended despite some bidders offering lower-cost, pool-based staffing approaches.

Board members asked about the scoring details and whether more granular scoring sheets could be audited; Brandon said the team used five criteria (cost, financial strength/stability/reputation, existing presence in the region, ability to meet performance requirements, and K-12 experience), with performance requirements weighted highest. The recommended Legacy bid was cited at about $307,000 versus a budgeted $330,000.

A board member moved to approve the recommended contract for Legacy Silverton Hospital Nursing Services for the 2025-26 school year; the motion was seconded and approved by voice vote.

Board members stressed the importance of continuity of nursing staff for students with high needs and the value of local, consistent providers over rotating or pool-based staffing.