Gilroy Unified approves multiple contracts and vendor renewals; residents urge accountability for virtual speech services

Gilroy Unified's board approved several vendor contracts and service renewals on April 18, covering professional development, districtwide edtech tools, virtual service providers and county partnership slots. Trustees voted unanimously to approve a Kagan Cooperative Structures contract for secondary professional development not to exceed $74,169 and a three-year districtwide Quizzes license not to exceed $85,500 (annual $28,500) funded from LCAP Goal 1. The board also approved consolidating Edmentum contracts into a three-year agreement not to exceed $304,000 to cover the Virtual Learning Academy, credit recovery and summer school.

Superintendent and staff framed the EdTech approvals as part of a larger effort to inventory tools and streamline systems, highlighting data privacy reviews and integration with Clever. "Our goal is to be strategic and fiscally responsible," Miss Flores said, noting that sites may request the district review individual tools but that consolidation will reduce duplication.

The board also approved a memorandum of understanding with the Santa Clara County Office of Education for up to 30 community-school placements (primarily for students who have undergone expulsion processes) not to exceed $390,000. Staff said those allotments average about 30 students per year and are intended to provide placements while MTSS and PBIS work reduces future need.

Several personnel- and special-education-related contract increases were approved. The board authorized a $257,000 increase to Universal Speech Therapy (bringing the contract total to $803,000) to provide virtual speech-language pathology support paired with in-person paraprofessional support for sites with vacancies. A public commenter, Cynthia Van Laar, who identified herself as a San Andreas Regional Center early-start provider and director of clinical education at San Jose State University, supported the contract but urged the district to track outcomes and ensure virtual evaluations are appropriate for very young children: "This is not an effective use of the $803,000 being spent on virtual services," she said, describing an assessment conducted over Zoom in a cramped apartment.

District staff responded that the Universal Speech model pairs remote clinicians with trained in-person paraprofessionals, participates in IEPs and maintains documentation in district systems, and said they prefer in-person services when available but face recruitment shortages. The board approved the Universal Speech increase unanimously after discussion.

The board also approved a $250,000 increase to Adriana San Milan School Psychology and Special Education Services LLC to address vacancies and leaves and to prevent assessment backlogs; that motion passed unanimously.

Trustees noted broader recruitment and retention challenges for speech-language pathologists and school psychologists. Trustee Pesena reflected on long-term workforce constraints, saying virtual services are sometimes necessary when an in-person provider cannot be found. Staff agreed to continue recruitment efforts and to track service delivery and outcomes.

Board-approved contracts (Kagan, Quizzes, Edmentum, county MOU, Universal Speech increase and Adriana San Milan increase) will proceed with the funding sources and contract terms discussed in the packet and via roll-call votes recorded at the meeting.