Greene County board approves ESS contract to staff paraprofessionals; current employees may opt in

The Greene County Board of Education approved an agreement with ESS Southeast LLC to provide paraprofessional staffing, a move staff said will give the district access to a broader recruiting network and potential savings on benefits and pay cycles.

Superintendent and staff told the board the ESS model would make paraprofessionals employees of ESS rather than direct district employees; existing paraprofessionals may choose to remain with the district or transition to ESS. Staff said ESS serves many districts in the state and can scale recruitment, and that some cost savings come from ESS’s broader network and different benefit structures. The district retains the ability to continue hiring staff directly if it chooses.

Board members asked whether transferring paraprofessionals to ESS would change retirement participation; staff confirmed ESS employees would not be covered by TRS as district employees are but would have different benefits. Staff also said using ESS could reduce substitute costs by improving coverage.

The board approved the agreement by voice vote; staff said the arrangement will be used for future paraprofessional hires and that anyone currently employed would be grandfathered or offered the transition.