County school board approves two contracts, delays another

RICHMOND —

Contract renewals for learning software and services for autistic students with severe behavioral issues were met with questions and some opposition last week from members of the Madison County School Board.

Contracts with APEX (Advanced Placement Exam Review) Learning software for credit recovery and services and with VBC (Verbal Behavior Consulting) were both up for renewal.

The APEX won three votes for passage, but board member John Lackey abstained, saying he could not vote without more information from district administrators. Becky Coyle, Chris Hager and Mona Isaacs voted in favor. The board has one vacancy.

Lackey wasn’t the only board member with questions, however. He and other members posed questions about the number of students who utilized the software and about the vendor.

Before instructional supervisor, Mendy Mills, asked the board to approve the second year of a three-year contract with APEX, Isaacs spoke up to congratulate the district on its reduction of dropouts.

Only six dropped out of the district’s two high schools this past year. The year before, the number was 51. (The Richmond Register reported this on June 17.)

“That’s one of the best news items I’ve seen,” said Isaacs, who thought the reduction was a sign of a school district that takes dropout prevention seriously.

“Speaking of dropouts, you’re leading us perfectly into the next item,” said Mills, referring to the approval of the APEX contract, which the board approved last year.

APEX provides courses that are used for credit recovery and intervention for students who fall behind, she said.

The program offers courses in basic English and math to foreign language, as well as an Advanced Placement component, all via the Internet.

For the schools’ “no dropout” program Focus to Finish, Mills said, “this is a way to keep some of these kids in school.”

Superintendent Tommy Floyd called APEX “an obvious choice for us” because the program reaches a wide range of students, he said.

Isaacs wanted to know how many students used the program last year, but Randy Peffer, assistant superintendent for academics, who knew the answer was unable to attend the meeting, Mills said.

Lackey then raised other questions.

“I’m not convinced that APEX is important for doing this,” he said. “I’ve said this since I came on board: The proliferation of tracking, testing and teaching software and how much money we’re spending on it — I want the administration to ask questions. Would we be better off hiring a teacher for $50,000 or spend $50,000 on a software program? That’s the issue.”

Mills said, “The way I can answer that question is … never ever will we find one teacher that can offer credit recovery and have the certification to offer every [subject]. That’s not out there; that person is not available.”

Mills insisted she would never ask the board for something that isn’t “needed for the betterment of our students,” she said.

Board members received preliminary numbers Monday, July 2, that indicates more than 400 high school students took advantage of the software in the first year.

“I expect that number may grow in the next years of the contract,” Isaacs said. A final report will be submitted to the board before voting on the item at the July 24 meeting.

Verbal Behavior Consulting contract

Lackey said the contract with Verbal Behavior Consulting, which offers “client-centered behavioral solutions” and specializes in treatment for children with autism and other developmental disabilities, was “horribly expensive.”

In addition to consulting, the agency provides program supervision, direct therapy services, parent and caregiver training and public or private workshops for families and schools.

Lackey read a section of the contract stating VBC’s assertion that every student would benefit from its services. But the firm does not guarantee results.

“Can you believe it?” Lackey asked, “that they would stick in something like that?”

He called the contract “demeaning” to the district.

Floyd agreed the program is expensive, but services from VBC are vital for the “small, but growing number of children” who need them, he said.

“That clause Mr. Lackey read about — it is in there,” Floyd said. “But it’s in there because they’re making their best effort as trained and licensed individuals to offer those services. This isn’t common work. These are highly trained individuals who work with very fragile children.”

Floyd reminded the board that providing services to children with learning disabilities is required to meet federal and state guidelines.

Lackey also disagreed with a clause he said would allow VBC to terminate the contract with 30 days’ notice without allowing the district the same opportunity. Although Lackey admitted that he doesn’t have any real expertise about the customary fee for consultation, he said, the amount of money involved warranted a second look.

“I really don’t like this contract. I think it ought to be rewritten. I don’t think we should approve it. Of course we should do something for autistic kids, obviously, but not with this contract,” Lackey said.

Hager said he also would like to know the amount of the previous years’ contract before voting.

Board members then agreed to delay voting on the VCB contract, which had been on its consent agenda, until its July 24 meeting.

In the past three years, the district has paid about $49,000 to VBC, district spokesperson Erin Stewart said Monday. The 2009-10 cost was almost $9,000. It went up to nearly $18,000 for 2010-11 and then $22,000 for 2011-12.

The annual increases reflect the increasing number of students who needed the services, Stewart said. In the coming school year, 15 students will need these services, she said.

If the district were to employ a full-time, board-certified behavior analyst, the salary alone could cost close to $58,000 annually, Stewart said.

MAP contract approved

Despite the controversy over the APEX and VCB contracts, the MAP (Measures of Academic Progress) assessment software contract for $98,000 was renewed for a fourth year without dissent. Of 174 Kentucky school districts, 158 use MAP, Floyd said.

Board vacancy update

The board elected Isaacs as chair for the remainder of the calendar year. Betsy Bohannon, the previous chair, resigned from the board in early June. Lackey will remain vice chair.

The Kentucky Department of Education has received numerous applications for the interim appointment to fill the vacancy and will be conducting interviews July 17, Stewart said.

Commissioner of Education, Terry Holliday, will appoint a new member to the seat following the interviews.

The board also approved:

• Tuition for the Middle College Scholars. Each student enrolled in the program at EKU may take one college course per semester during their junior year of high school and two college courses during their senior year for $65 per credit hour. A student must have an ACT composite score of at least 17 and a grade-point average of 2.0 or greater in all core classes to take college-credit classes.

• 2012-13 contract with the Madison County Health Department in the amount of $453,000 to provide nursing services to the district

• 2012-13 student accident insurance contract for almost $162,000

• The next school board meeting was rescheduled for July 24, 6 p.m., in the Madison Central auditorium provided there are “no issues affecting sewer or water [at the facility] due to construction,” Floyd said. Any changes will be posted to the district website.

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