AAPS OKs Therapy Services Contract

A contract for physical, occupational therapy services – provided to Ann Arbor Public School district students with disabilities – was given approval by the AAPS board at its Aug. 15 meeting. The contract is with Pediatric Therapy Associates and totals $528,360 for the coming year – 2012-13. It includes 120 hours weekly for physical therapy and 135 hours weekly for occupational therapy, at an hourly rate of pay of $56.

Compared to the cost of hiring therapists to work as AAPS employees, the district’s analysis is that it would cost at least $724,757 (if therapists were hired in at the lowest step of the teachers contract) in including fringe benefits or as much as $1,300,915 (if therapists were hired in at step 10 of the master level)

At the board’s first briefing on the item, given at its Aug. 1 meeting, AAPS superintendent Patricia Green noted that for the upcoming year, AAPS no longer must use 15% of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Flowthrough Grant to support significant disproportionality. Therefore, the grant money allocations have been revised to pay for the total amount of the Pediatric Therapy contract, instead of having to support the contract from general budget funds.

Funds under the IDEA are provided to school districts on an entitlement basis for services to children with disabilities.

This brief was filed from the main conference room of the Balas Administration Building. A more detailed report of the meeting will follow: [link]