Phillips
Bartholomew Consolidated School Corp. hopes to establish a pipeline of school psychologists through a partnership with Indiana University-Bloomington and a grant approved by school board members.
School board members signed-off on a four-year, $2.2 million grant BCSC was awarded from the U.S. Department of Education on Monday. The grant will be used to build the infrastructure for the “recruitment, high-quality training and long-term retention of school psychologists,” according to a summary of what’s called the “Together for Tomorrow” initiative.
School board members approved it 6-0. Nikki Wheeldon, District 7, was absent.
The grant will pay for a district project lead and school psychologist intern each of the four years. It also pay for four practicum students in IU’s School of Psychology to come to BCSC annually so they can complete required, supervised, training as part of their degree.
BCSC officials hope that one of the practicum students each year would apply to become the rotating school psychologist intern the following year as a means of boosting recruitment and retainment as well as ensuring they are familiar with the community.
Jessica Vogel, BCSC’s director of special education, explained that the grant was awarded because the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Elementary and Secondary Education “recognizes that there is shortage of school psychologists, especially in rural communities.”
Vogel said BCSC has had a hard time filling a position for a school psychologist so they looked to innovate and partner with IU’s School of Psychology to apply for the grant through the DOE.
She mentioned that Heather Rimstidt, BCSC’s assistant director of special education, worked in another district that had a similar program and partnership with IU so there’s a familiarity with how the initiative can enable the recruitment and retainment of school psychologists.
About 43% of school psychology positions are unfilled or filled with people without proper credentials, according to School Psychology Today. Experts also note that part of the reason for that is a lack of clear career pipelines.
BCSC currently has three-and-a-half school psychologists that work on site, and contracted with an additional virtual school psychologist after being unable to hire a replacement for an employee who departed last year.
BCSC school psychologists work primarily with students with an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) or Section 504 Plan, but also conduct evaluations to determine if a student is eligible for special education.
Over $1 million of the grant is allocated directly to IU’s School of Psychology program. The grant will provide mileage reimbursement for four IU practicum students annually and pay salaries and benefits for the project lead and each intern at just over $900,000 over the four years. Combined salaries for the project lead and intern hover between $132,00 and $142,000 each year over the grant period.
“By investing in early-career professionals through supervised internships and supported practicum experiences, BCSC is not only addressing immediate staffing needs but also building a resilient workforce,” the initiative summary goes on. “This program ensures that our schools remain equipped with highly trained psychologists dedicated to the long-term success and well-being of our students.”
Superintendent Chad Phillips noted the grant is reimbursement-based, meaning BCSC will pay for the initiative and get reimbursed by the DOE each quarter after proving the dollars are spent in the way the grant was intended.
