Cumberland Co, NC: BofE spending >$7.3M on outside SPED support
Cumberland County Board of Education signed off on contracts worth more than $7.3 million tied to special education on June 9, according to CityView. The money will go toward agreements with outside staffing agencies, therapy providers, evaluation specialists, and instructional support vendors throughout the 2026-27 school year.
These contracts, according to the report, kick in July 1. Eight exceptional children's service contracts and instructional support agreements got the green light.
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AMN Healthcare snagged the biggest contract at $3.045 million. They'll provide speech, occupational therapy, physical therapy, and clinical staffing services. Soliant Health landed $1.833 million for contracted therapy and support services—speech, occupational therapy, physical therapy, sign language interpretation, and behavior support all included. . . . .
The school system spent much of this year expanding contracted services because of staffing shortages. Back in January, board members approved $1.3 million in extra funding for three existing providers, per the report. Then came April, when they approved another $4.09 million contract increase.
Cumberland County Schools has been under scrutiny over its special education practices. A federal lawsuit and state complaint filed earlier this year alleged the district dragged its feet on special education evaluations for some students, according to CityView. Separate state findings concluded the district failed to implement accommodations required under at least one student's Individualized Education Program. . . .
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