The Jim Thorpe Area School District board of directors hired a board certified behavior analyst Wednesday night on a 5-4 vote after an initial 4-4 tie forced a second roll call.

Ashley Ortiz was approved as an Act 93 contracted BCBA at a prorated salary of $85,000, with a start date to be determined. The position had been budgeted for and was recommended by Superintendent Robert Presley, who argued that failing to hire would cost the district far more than the salary.

“If we’re going to do what’s right by students, which is our job, and what’s right by our staff, then we need to support the classrooms that we have,” Presley said. “If we don’t get the BCBA to support those (emotional support and learning support) classrooms, then we are going to end up outplacing more students at $60,000 or $70,000 a piece, which will far exceed the amount that the BCBA is going to cost us.”

The hire had been discussed at last week’s committee meeting, where the same fiscal concerns were aired but no vote was taken. Wednesday’s debate was sharper.

Board member Michele Mazzola, who voted against the hire both times, said her opposition was not a reversal of her long-standing support for putting behavioral support in classrooms; it was a financial calculation.

The district, she said, is already running over budget this year, with two students already being placed out of district at unbudgeted cost and the possibility of needing to open an additional support classroom.

“We’re looking at the possibility of needing to open another classroom, which would require a teacher and two paraprofessionals, looking at approximately $200,000 of money that has not been budgeted for,” Mazzola said. “My decision tonight is purely fiscal. I do not want there to be a misconception that I think it’s not needed.”

The first roll call produced four yes votes and four no votes; one short of the five needed to pass. Voting no were Pearl Sheckler, Mazzola, Meghan Demshick and Edward Rehrig. Voting yes were Mary Figura, Michele Banks, Dennis McGinley and Strubinger. Sierra Fogal was absent.

A second roll call was held several minutes later. Sheckler voted yes on the revote, providing the deciding fifth vote.

Mazzola acknowledged she had recommended the position and voted for it when it was first approved.

She said she was not opposed in principle but believed the district should pause and look at interim options given the emerging budget picture.

Director Gerry Strubinger asked Business Manager Brian Off directly whether the BCBA was included in this year’s budget.

“We did,” Off said of budgeting for the position.

Strubinger then asked Presley whether he believed the district needed the hire.

“Yes, we absolutely need that,” Presley said.

“The way my math works, it looks like we need a BCBA and we’ll save money,” Strubinger said.

The district’s special education director, Fawn Meli, told the board a district life skills classroom is currently at maximum capacity based on the needs of students enrolled, but that a BCBA could help create movement within the program.

“If I had a BCBA in there who is making the functionality of that class different, we might be able to move some kids in and out so that there might be open space,” Meli said.

Meli also said the classroom’s capacity is not fixed. If incoming students have lower levels of need, the caseload can expand.

“If there’s a lower level of need, that caseload size can increase up to at least 12,” she said. “So there’s a potential for more going in there.”