Lehighton Area School District agreed on a memorandum of understanding with its teacher and support staff unions Monday night that will allow it to contract with Behavioral Health Associates for one elementary special education teacher and five paraprofessionals.

According to supporting documents, the BHA staff will “provide specialized services for a designated classroom of kindergarten and first grade students with special needs.”

Monday’s vote to approve the MOUs was unanimous and while there was no discussion on the items, the documents state the district turned to the agency following “the difficulty in hiring qualified staff to perform such work.”

According to the Pennsylvania Department of Education, the state issued almost 2,600 new in-state special education teaching certificates for pre-kindergarten through 12th grade in 2010-11. The number dropped to around 1,600 in 2013-14. By 2020-21, the number of new certificates issued was down to around 1,120.

To combat the problem, PDE launched a grant program that offers $1.5 million to paraprofessionals who want to become special education teachers.

Lehighton’s agreement with BHA emphasizes that this collaboration is only a one-year initiative for the 2023-24 school year. Both parties affirmed that the decision to engage BHA staff does not constitute a permanent deviation from the exclusive work of Lehighton’s professional bargaining unit.

“No bargaining unit positions will be reduced or eliminated as a direct or indirect result of the district’s implementation of the program with BHA,” the agreement states.

Lehighton went into executive session following Monday’s meeting and district officials have not answered requests to share the financial impact to the district of using BHA staff.

New special education director

Lehighton hired Sandra Michalik on Monday night as its new director of student services, which includes overseeing special education matters, following the resignation of Samantha Kistler, which is effective Jan. 26.

Michalik was hired at an annual salary of $112,500 and will start March 4.

Before Lehighton, Michalik was Jim Thorpe’s director of special education since 2017. She also had a prior stop in Panther Valley, where she led their special education program for just over four years.

“Sandra comes to us highly recommended,” Dr. Christina Fish, Lehighton superintendent said. “We’re very excited to have her on board and see what she can do for us.”