Agenda Item
a. RFP 25-603 (Extension 2 of 4) Nursing Services for Medically Fragile Students with Disabilities Contract ~ School Health and School Nursing Services for More than $50,000 Per Vendor (Not to Exceed $2,000,000)
Summary: Mrs. Kiana King, Interim Chief of Student Services, Division of Student Services
Request: It is requested that the DeKalb County Board of Education approve an extension (year 2 of 4) for RFP 25-603 to Pediatric Services of America, LLC dba Aveanna Healthcare; Delta T Group Georgia, Inc.; EDU Healthcare, LLC; SHC Services, Inc. dba Supplemental Health Care; Tandym Group, LLC; Technostaff LLC dba HonorVet Technologies; and the Stepping Stones Group LLC. as the seven most responsive and responsible bidders to provide school health and school nursing services for more than $50,000 per vendor, but not to exceed a total contracted amount of $2,000,000.
Why: Under the individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), school health and school nurse services are defined as related services. Section 504 works together with IDEA to protect children and adults with disabilities from exclusion and unequal treatment in schools, jobs, and the community. These services are required, according to IDEA and Section 504 guidelines and physician’s orders, for students with significant medical needs to access their education.
Currently, there are 24 special education nurses that are district employees. Additionally, the DeKalb County School District (DCSD) has contracted with nursing vendors to provide registered nurses (RNs) and licensed practical nurses (LPNs) with specialized knowledge when the District is unable to hire them directly. The District is currently contracting with vendors who are providing nineteen (19) nurses for one-to-one services for students with significant medical needs who are eligible for special education services, and one (1) supporting students with significant medical needs who is eligible for Section 504 services. Additional resources are needed to address the school-based nursing requirements and to provide IDEA and Section 504 mandated services to students with disabilities.
Details: The Request for Proposals (RFP) was issued on November 21, 2024. RFP 25-603 was posted to the District’s website and IonWave on November 21, 2024. RFP 25-603 was advertised in the Champion Newspaper on November 21, 2024, and November 28, 2024. An electronic notification was sent to 14 vendors from the DCSD Vendor Bid List, 408 vendors from the State of GA Procurement Registry, and 148 vendors through IonWave.
The contract includes up to four, one-year extension options contingent upon DCSD’s offer to such extension, the successful offeror’s acceptance, and the approval of the DeKalb County Board of Education to extend the contract.
The approved DCSD RFP process was followed. To date, seven (7) vendors have responded and selected based on the following criteria: ability to provide needed staff, hourly rates, and experience with school-based settings. The seven (7) selected vendors are Pediatric Services of America, LLC dba Aveanna Healthcare; DeltaT Group Georgia, Inc.; EDU Healthcare, LLC; SHC Services, Inc. dba Supplemental Health Care; Tandym Group, LLC; Technostaff LLC dba HonorVet Technologies; The Stepping Stones Group LLC.
Financial impact: The total contract amount will not exceed $2,000,000.
The contract amount from the general budget will be $500,000 (G/L Account: 100.2100.530000.00011.7340.2021.8010.094.0000), $500,000 (G/L Account: 100.2100.530000.22711.7320.9990.8010.094.0000), and $1,000,000 from IDEA federal dollars (G/L Account: 404.2100.530000.05021.7340.2824.8010.094.2026).
Contact: Mrs. Kiana King, Interim Chief of Student Services, Division of Student Services, 678-676-1885
Dr. Erin Broyard-Baptiste, Interim Executive Director, Exceptional Education, Division of Student Services, 678-676-1814
Effective: February 2026 - February 2027
Status: Approved by the Office of Legal Affairs during Initial RFP Process in February 2025
CHRONOLOGY OF THE AGENDA ITEM RFP 25-603
(Nursing Services for Students with Disabilities)
Vacancies of appropriately trained nurses have increased over the last few years. No single company has
been able to provide a sufficient number of nurses to cover the DeKalb County School District’s (DCSD)
needs.
DCSD has been unable to fill all vacancies when employees resign or retire.
Currently, there are 24 special education nurses that are district employees. The District is currently
contracting with nineteen (19) nurses for special education and one (1) nurse, to support students with
significant medical needs who are eligible for Section 504 services. The cost incurred by these vendors,
due to the hourly rate and number of nurses needed, exceeded $500,000 for the 2024-2025 school year.
The chart below provides a historical perspective of the nursing expenses in the District.
Year Nursing Services Amount
July 1, 2017 – 18, 1:1 nurses needed based on Total Nursing Services Expenditures =
June 30, 2018 doctor’s orders for medically fragile $684,886.76
students
Contracted nurses to substitute for
extended absences for DCSD nurses
July 1, 2018 - 21, 1:1 nurses needed based on Hourly rate:
June 30, 2019 doctor’s orders for medically fragile LPN’s $33.50 – $38.00 RN’s
students $40.00 – $43.50
Yearly amount for 1 nurse@
Contracted nurses to substitute for $38.00 an hour 8 hours a day for 180
extended absences for DCSD nurses days =
$54, 720.00
$54,720.00 x 21 nurses =
$1,149.120.00
Total Nursing Service Expenditures =
$880,753.50
July 1, 2019 - Special Education Students- Hourly rate:
June 30, 2020 24 - 1:1 nurses needed based on physician LPN’s $33.50 – $38.00 RN’s
orders $40.00 – $43.50
Yearly amount for 1 nurse@
Section 504 Students Only - $38.00 an hour 8 hours a day for 180
4- 1:1 nurses needed based on doctor’s days =
orders for medically fragile students $54, 720.00
Total Nursing Service Expenditures =
$871,968.10 (reduced due to school
closures as of March 2020 due to the
COVID-19 pandemic)
July 1, 2020 – Special Education Students- Hourly rate:
June 30, 2021 12 - 1:1 nurses projected based on LPN’s $33.50 – $38.00 RN’s
parent intent to return to in-person $40.00 – $43.50
instruction (when available) Yearly amount for 1 nurse@
$38.00 an hour 8 hours a day for 180
Section 504 Students Only - days =
5- 1:1 nurses needed based on doctor’s $54, 720.00
orders for medically fragile students
Total Nursing Service
Expenditures to date:
$32,476.85 (reduced due to school
closures as of March 2020 due to
the COVID-19 pandemic); Expected
expenditure TBD per District
confirmed in-person student return
date.
July 1, 2021 – Special Education Students-12- Hourly rate:
June 30, 2022 1:1 nurses currently LPN’s $33.50 – $38.00 RN’s
supporting students attending in- $40.00 – $43.50
person instruction. The department Yearly amount for 1 nurse@
anticipates an increase in 1:1 nurse $38.00 an hour 8 hours a day for 180
support as days =
additional students return to in-person $54, 720.00
instruction.
Special Education Delta-
Section 504 Students Only - T- $178,437.57
1- 1:1 nurse needed based on doctor’s Aveanna-$82,898.35 Stepping
orders for medically fragile students Stones-$142,600.95 Maxim-$0
504
Delta-T- $40,914.99
July 1, 2022- Special Education Students-Eight (8)- Hourly rate:
June 30, 2023 1:1 nurses currently supporting LPN’s $33.50 – $38.00 RN’s
students attending in-person $40.00 – $43.50
instruction. The department Yearly amount for 1 nurse@
anticipates an increase of 15 nurses $38.00 an hour 8 hours a day for 180
upon receipt of pending physician days =
orders, students return from Hospital $54, 720.00
Homebound (HHB), and identification
of specially skilled/trained contract
nurses. Delta-T- $938.00
Section 504 Students Only - One (1)-
1:1 nurse currently, anticipating an
increase of six (6) based on doctor’s
orders for medically fragile students
July 1, 2023- Special Education Students-Fifteen Hourly rate:
June 30, 2024 (15)- 1:1 nurses currently supporting LPN’s $33.50 – $38.00 RN’s
students attending in-person $40.00 – $43.50
instruction. Yearly amount for 1 nurse@
$38.00 an hour 8 hours a day for 180
Section 504 Students Only - days = $54, 720.00
2-1:1 nurses will be supporting 504
students Financial Impact-
Anticipating four (4) based on doctor’s
orders for medically fragile students Delta- T- $220,760 Aveanna-
$128,217 Stepping Stones-
$296,333 Maxim- 0
=$645,310
July 1, 2024- Special Education Students-Fifteen Hourly rate:
June 30, 2025 (15)- 1:1 nurses currently supporting
students attending in-person
instruction. LPN’s $55.00 – $64.00
RN’s $65.00 – $96.00
Section 504 Students Only - 1-1:1
nurses supporting 504 students Yearly amount for 1 LPN@
$64.00 an hour 8 hours a day for 180
days = $92,160.00
Financial impact to date-
Aveanna- $200,997.60
Delta-T- $167,828.23
Stepping Stones-
$142,187.90
Maxim- 0
July 1, 2025 - Special Education Students-Nineteen
Hourly rate:
present (19) 1:1 nurses currently supporting
students attending in-person LPN’s $55.00 – $64.00
instruction.
RN’s $65.00 – $96.00
Section 504 Students Only - Yearly amount for 1 LPN@
1-1:1 nurse supporting 504 students
$64.00 an hour 8 hours a day for 180
days = $92,160.00
Financial impact to date-
Aveanna- $16,620.94
Delta-T- $30,897.22
Stepping Stones- $34,819.20
Supplemental Healthcare (SHC)- 0
EDU Healthcare – 0
Tandym- 0
Honor Vet - 0