N.J.-S.P. Board Approves JESSE Memorandum of Understanding

Posted on June 24, 2016
Author Mary Perren, WKVI 

The North Judson-San Pierre School Board Tuesday night approved a revised memorandum of understanding with their special education cooperative. The corporation is a member of Joint Educational Services in Special Education, or JESSE. As part of the “right sizing” initiative approved earlier this year, N.J.-S.P. cut special education services. Oregon-Davis has since picked up the speech and language pathologist hours N.J.-S.P. cut. The new memorandum of understanding reflects 70 percent pay for that employee will come from N.J.S.P. and the remaining 30 percent from O-D.

N.J.-S.P. Board Approves Special Education Agreement

December 19, 2015AuthorMary Perren

The North Judson-San Pierre School Board this week approved a new agreement as part of its existing special education cooperative. The new JESSE agreement allows for easier separation should a member school decide to leave.

Under the agreement, nine corporations share special education services that are not feasible for them to offer individually, including administration, psychological and therapy services, transition programming and counseling. Special education classroom staff were previously JESSE employees but are now employed by the individual corporation.

Member corporations include Argos, Culver, John Glenn, Knox, North Judson – San Pierre, Oregon-Davis, Plymouth, Triton and Union-North. The 29 area schools offer 70 special education classes and programs, according to information on the cooperative’s website. The base student population is approximately 14,000, and JESSE serves more than 1,600 students with disabilities.

The Plymouth Community School Corporation administers the program and pays the claims. All of the corporations have recently been tasked with ratifying the new agreement. N.J.-S.P. Superintendent Lynn Johnson says there are no significant changes over the original agreement that was signed to set up a Joint Service and Supply Fund Cooperative on July 1, 2012.