District staff outline proposed MOU with WBI to expand local behavior placements; tiered rates and $520,000 cap discussed

District staff updated the board on a proposed memorandum of understanding with WBI to provide local day placements and therapeutic services for students with behavioral and high-needs IEP placements.

An administrator summarized current out-of-district placement costs at about $10,697 per month per student (approximately $535 per day). Under the proposed MOU, the district would use a tiered daily-rate model: lower tiers would be $75 and $125 per day for less-intensive placements and $275 per day for the district's highest-need IEP students. The administrator said the MOU would include a maximum district payment of $520,000 regardless of how many students were placed.

"At this time, we haven't committed to anything," the staff member told the board, adding that the district will convene the administrative team next Tuesday to review current placements, determine which students could be served locally and whether the district can reliably fill the 10-student threshold the provider would require.

If the district can fill the required slots and administrators recommend the arrangement, the staff member said the district would invite WBI for a site visit and then return to the board for approval of the MOU.

Board members asked for additional analysis and for special-education leadership to vet which students could reasonably be served in a local placement. The staff member said any savings accrue largely to the state (the district is reimbursed for some placements) but that creating a local option would expand access for general-education students who would not otherwise qualify for external placements.