District renews contract with behavioral consulting organization for Bester Elementary
The Washington County Board of Education voted Tuesday to renew a contract with a state behavioral consulting organization that provides behavioral health services to Bester Elementary School.
The contract was originally awarded in August 2022, and the board voted 4-3 to renew it from now until June 30 of next year. After the vote, district associate superintendent Jennifer Webster showed a presentation on the benefits of board-certified behavioral analysts in Bester Elementary. Members April Zentmeyer, Darrell Evans and Mike Guessford opposed the contract renewal.
Evans told The Herald-Mail after the meeting that he has "nothing against BCBAs" and that he "certainly sees the value that they provide." However, Evans thinks the money spent on the contract could be better spent in other ways.
"My concern is especially on the contract, the cost," Evans said in an interview. "We could hire more teachers and strategically place them to lower class sizes where we see the problems."
The agreement allows for one contracted individual to work at Bester for 40 hours per week. This cost the district a total of $201,390 last fiscal year, according to the school system.
Zentmeyer agreed with Evans that the money could be allocated differently.
"The positions that we have in the schools that I've talked to have been very valuable," Zentmeyer said. "I can get two for one if we hire them rather than contract the services."
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She did not respond to a request for further comment following the meeting.
Evans also said he doesn't think the district is using all available resources, and during the meeting, asked to see data related to the effectiveness of behavioral analysts working at Bester Elementary.
Guessford declined to comment on his decision but said he will support the decisions made by the board.
This article originally appeared on The Herald-Mail: Board of education votes to renew contract with behavioral specialists
