Critical Special Education Services at Stake as Emery USD Considers Multiple Non-Public Contracts Amid Transparency Concerns

The Emery Unified School District Board of Trustees will vote on approving several non-public school and agency contracts at their June 28th meeting, decisions that will directly impact some of the district’s most vulnerable students. These contracts represent significant investments in specialized services, yet the community’s ability to understand the context and necessity of these agreements has been severely hampered by the district’s failure to publish meeting minutes since January 2023.

Essential Services for High-Need Students

The June 28th agenda includes approval requests for at least six separate non-public school and agency contracts:

1. A Better Chance – A non-public school contract for specialized educational services
2. Seneca Family of Agencies – Services through Maya Angelou Academy non-public school
3. Scoot Education – Contract for six aides to work at both Anna Yates Elementary and Emery High School during the 2025-2026 school year
4. Austin Texas Learning Group (ATX) – Speech and language services for students during both extended school year and regular school year, covering for a district SLP on leave
5. Prime Care – One-to-one nursing support for a student attending a non-public school
6. RoHealth – LVN services to cover student needs during extended school year while the district nurse is off for the summer

These contracts represent critical support systems for students with specialized needs that cannot be fully met within the district’s regular educational program.

The True Picture Remains Unclear

Without access to meeting minutes from the past 30 months, the community lacks crucial information about:

• The history and effectiveness of these service providers with Emery USD students
• Whether these contracts represent renewals or new relationships
• How costs have changed over time for these specialized services
• What discussions have occurred regarding the quality and oversight of these programs
• Whether alternative service providers have been considered

The agenda items simply state “Approve as presented” for each contract, offering minimal context about the services, their costs, or the number of students who will benefit.

Special Education Services in Context

Non-public school and agency contracts typically serve students with Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) whose needs cannot be adequately met within district programs. These services are mandated by federal and state special education laws and are essential to providing appropriate education for students with disabilities.

The contracts on the June 28th agenda appear to cover a range of needs:

• Specialized school placements
• Speech and language therapy
• One-to-one aides and support staff
• Medical services for students with health needs

While these services are legally required, they also represent significant expenditures that must be balanced within the district’s overall budget—a budget that is simultaneously facing federal funding cuts, as indicated elsewhere in the meeting agenda.

Transparency Gap Undermines Public Oversight

The absence of meeting minutes since January 2023 means that parents, advocates, and community members have been denied access to crucial information about how the district has been managing its special education obligations. This documentation gap raises several concerns:

• Parents of students with disabilities lack historical context about service provider decisions
• The community cannot assess whether the district has been consistent in its approach to special education services
• Taxpayers have limited insight into how funds are being allocated for these specialized services
• The evaluation process for these service providers remains opaque

Financial Implications Remain Unclear

The agenda does not specify the costs associated with these contracts, leaving the public in the dark about:

• The total financial commitment being made
• How these costs compare to previous years
• What percentage of the district’s special education budget these contracts represent
• Whether the federal funding cuts mentioned elsewhere in the agenda will impact these services

Why This Matters to the Community

These non-public contracts have significant implications:

• They directly affect educational outcomes for students with specialized needs
• They represent legal obligations the district must fulfill regardless of budget constraints
• They reflect the district’s commitment to serving all students, including those with the most significant needs
• They constitute a substantial financial investment of public funds

Call for Transparency and Accountability

As the district prepares to approve these contracts, community members should advocate for:

1. Immediate publication of all missing meeting minutes from January 2023 to present
2. Detailed information about the costs and scope of each contract
3. Data on the number of students served by each provider
4. Evidence of effectiveness and quality monitoring for these services
5. Clarification on how these contracts fit within the district’s overall special education strategy

Community Participation Encouraged

Parents of students with disabilities, special education advocates, and concerned community members are encouraged to attend the June 28th meeting at 6:00 PM either in person or via Zoom (Meeting ID: 813 796 806, Passcode: 229063) to learn more about these contracts and provide input during the public comment period.

Without transparent record-keeping, the community’s ability to ensure that these vulnerable students receive appropriate services is severely compromised. The approval of these contracts represents not just administrative decisions but commitments to providing equitable educational opportunities for all Emery USD students.

Sources: 06.28 Regular Meeting of the Emery USD Board of Trustees.pdf