The Piper School District Board approved a package of special‑education positions and a small set of general‑fund hires after discussion about budget impacts and the potential dissolution of a regional cooperative.

At the meeting staff presented a ranked list of anticipated openings compiled in December from building and district administrators. The first page of the packet covered positions to be funded from federal sources (EANS and other special‑education funding); staff estimated the federal‑funded positions would carry an anticipated cost of about $550,000. The list of staff roles discussed included a director of student services, an MIS/Medicaid specialist, an additional high‑school special‑education SLC teacher, a special‑education social worker (previously staffed by the cooperative), converting a 0.5 speech pathologist to 1.0 FTE, a part‑time job coach for the 18–21 program, a Compass paraeducator at an elementary building, a 0.5 music therapist and a 0.25 physical therapist (both proposed to be job‑shared with a neighboring district), and others.

Board members discussed the possible dissolution of the cooperative that currently provides some positions and services; staff said the district is hopeful the State Board of Education will consider the cooperative dissolution at its March agenda. The district said that if the cooperative dissolves the district would absorb some roles and that posted positions would not receive offers until the dissolution was finalized.

On the general‑fund side, staff presented a separate list with an estimated cost of about $575,000 that included an elementary "feature‑ready" coordinator (currently funded by grant funds and held by Jessica Asbury), a high‑school English language arts teacher (to relieve an existing teacher to allow expansion of broadcast/video classes), an IT technician, a Piper Education Foundation (PEF) executive director (a district employee cost‑shared 50% by PEF), in‑school suspension and building‑aid support positions for the middle and high school, and a district lead nurse.

After discussion and expressions of caution from at least one board member who said they "didn't feel comfortable yet voting today," the board approved a motion to hire the special‑education positions presented along with the elementary feature‑ready coordinator and a high‑school ELA teacher. The motion passed 7–0. Board members and staff clarified that positions would be posted or otherwise advertised as appropriate and that no offers would be made on cooperative‑provided positions until the district had final confirmation of the cooperative's status.

Why it matters: the approved positions address special‑education staffing needs and classroom‑level capacity; several of the roles respond to services previously provided by a cooperative and, if the cooperative dissolves, will move in‑house to the district.

Clarifying details: staff said the federal portion of the staffing list (related to special education) was estimated at roughly $550,000. The general‑fund positions under consideration were projected to total about $575,000; those figures include salary, benefits, FICA and Medicare costs, staff said. The district also said it was exploring job‑share arrangements with a neighboring district for two therapy positions to avoid full‑time hires.

Ending: staff will post approved positions and return with updates; the district plans to monitor the cooperative dissolution process and adjust hiring timelines and offers according to the state's guidance and final decisions.