The Cumberland County Board of Education approved a $1.3 million increase in funding for exceptional children’s services to address staffing shortages and growing service demands.
The new funding comes in the wake of a lawsuit filed in November accusing the school system of delaying special education evaluations..
Following a detailed discussion at a January 6 committee meeting, district leaders said the additional funding is needed to help meet growing evaluation and therapy demands while struggling to recruit and retain specialized staff.
What Are Exceptional Children’s Services?
The school district’s Exceptional Children’s Services support students with disabilities whose needs cannot be met through general classroom instruction alone.
These services include evaluations, therapy and specialized instruction guided by each student’s Individualized Education Plan, which is designed to address barriers that could prevent students from fully accessing the general education curriculum.
Cumberland County Schools serves approximately 7,200 students through Exceptional Children’s Services, according to district officials.
Staffing Shortages Drive Contract Increases
Ayanna Richard, executive director of Exceptional Children’s Services for the school district, told board members that the school system wants to add additional therapists and service providers to address ongoing gaps.
“We’re looking at an additional physical therapist, an additional speech-language pathologist as well as a speech-language pathology assistant,” Richard said. “We’re also looking at adding vision services because we’ve got two vacancies.”
Richard said staffing shortages remain one of the district’s biggest challenges.
“We have twice as many contractors as we do direct hires,” she said. “It’s very challenging to find people willing to work for the school district when they can make more in the contracting field.”
What the $1.3 Million Funds
The funding, approved January 13, increases apply to three service providers:
- AMN Staffing Services, LLC, a Texas-based company, increased from $750,000 to $1.5 million, supporting speech-language pathologists, occupational therapists and physical therapists across multiple schools.
- Soliant Solutions, LLC, a Georgia-based company, increased from $1.7 million to $2.1 million, providing additional therapy and evaluation services.
- Refine Communications Services, LLC, a North Carolina-based company, approved for $150,000 to provide on-site speech-language pathology services and evaluations.
Richard said larger companies such as AMN and Soliant allow the district to “cast a wider net” when recruiting therapists, while smaller local firms help fill targeted service gaps.
“Often times local companies struggle to find all the therapies that we need,” she said. “So we branch out and use larger companies.”
Board Concerned About Outsourcing
Several board members questioned the district’s growing reliance on outside contractors.
Board member Jackie Warner asked whether the district could reassign internal staff to reduce outsourcing.
“Not currently,” Richard responded. “All of our therapists and contractors are already doing the work required for testing and evaluations.”
Board Vice Chair Jacquelyn Brown said outsourcing may remain unavoidable.
“We can’t accommodate these people in pay,” Brown said. “So I think we’re always going to be on that side of the coin.”
Warner also raised concerns about funds going to out-of-state vendors, noting that Soliant is based outside North Carolina.
Richard said the company operates regional divisions and employs local contractors to provide services within Cumberland County.
Lawsuit Over Special Education Evaluations
The lawsuit, filed in federal court in November, claims Cumberland County Schools systematically delayed special education evaluations for students who showed signs of having disabilities.
The complaint alleged the district violated the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act by requiring students to complete the district’s Multi-Tiered System of Support program before allowing formal evaluations—a practice the lawsuit said is not permitted under federal law.
In December, Lindsay Whitley, associate superintendent of communications and community engagement, said in a statement to CityView that the district does not comment on pending litigation.
“Cumberland County Schools is aware of the lawsuit filed on November 20, 2025,” Whitley said. “We are reviewing the complaint with legal counsel and will respond through the legal process.”
Whitley added that the district remains committed to working with families in accordance with state and federal law.
Melody McClain, associate superintendent of student support services, said district leaders plan to present a more comprehensive overview of Exceptional Children’s Services during an upcoming board work session.
“We plan to provide a more comprehensive presentation to show where we are and what it’s going to take to get caught up,” McClain said.
The next Cumberland County Board of Education meeting is Feb. 9.
To contact education reporter Dasia Williams, email dwilliams@cityviewnc.com.