The Abridged version:
- A Sacramento-area education services provider laid off 166 special education aides this week after two school districts unexpectedly terminated contracts.
- Required notices filed with the state Employment Development Department by Point Quest Group said the permanent job actions would affect Elk Grove Unified School District and Sacramento City Unified School District.
Two Sacramento-area school districts this week unexpectedly ended contracts with a private provider of behavioral aides, prompting permanent layoff of 166 workers, according to state Employment Development Department documents.
Point Quest Group, which is headquartered in Elk Grove and contracts with school districts to provide special education workers, filed the required notice of layoffs.
The notice said the layoffs came after the “unexpected termination of school district contracts” at Elk Grove Unified School District and Sacramento City Unified School District.
Brian Heap, a spokesperson for Sacramento City Unified, said the district decided this year to cut down on contracting costs by reducing the number of agencies they work with for behavioral aides.
“We continue to contract with Point Quest for other services such as Nonpublic Schools, and some other related services, such as speech,” Heap said in a statement.
Muguet Cochran, Vice President of Human Resources for the Point Quest Group, in an email said the layoffs were necessary because “a few of our Northern California school district partners shifted their policies this year.”
She said renewal discussions with other districts are ongoing. “While this has been a difficult decision, we are committed to our mission to support students with special needs, ensuring they receive the quality care they deserve in their educational settings,” Cochran’s email said.
Officials at Elk Grove Unified declined to comment.
Savannah Kuchar is a reporter covering education. Dan Smith, news editor at Abridged, contributed reporting.