A Non-Public School (NPS) is a state-certified school that serves students with disabilities whose needs a district cannot meet in an on-site public school program — typically students with significant behavioral, emotional, or sensory needs whose IEP requires a more intensive, specialized setting. Districts place and fund these students at an NPS as part of meeting their FAPE obligation, but the NPS itself is responsible for staffing the classroom, including any aide support called for in the student’s IEP. Blue Horizons places DOJ Live Scan–screened Instructional, Behavioral Support, and Sensory Support Aides directly into NPS classrooms and programs.
Why NPS Programs Need Specialized Aide Staffing
Students placed at an NPS were, by definition, unable to be served in a standard on-site program — which means the aide support they require is rarely a generic one-size-fits-all role. An NPS administrator is often staffing for a caseload with a higher concentration of behavioral and sensory support needs than a typical district classroom, on a timeline that doesn’t allow for a slow hiring process. A staffing gap at an NPS carries the same compliance exposure as a district gap — the student’s IEP still requires the aide hours, and the NPS is still accountable to the placing district and to the state for delivering them.
- Aides matched to the intensity level of NPS caseloads, not a generic staffing pool
- Coverage that holds up under district and state monitoring of the NPS placement
- A vendor that understands the NPS sits between the placing district and the family, and reports to both
- Continuity so a student who was already moved to a more restrictive setting doesn’t also experience aide turnover
Who We Work With at an NPS
NPS Administrators & Program Directors
Responsible for staffing an entire certified program to the IEP requirements of every student a district has placed there, often with several open aide roles at once.
Placing District SPED Coordinators
Still accountable for the student’s outcome after placement, and need confidence that the NPS’s aide vendor is screened and supervised to the same standard as a district-direct placement.
The Blue Horizons Standard for NPS Placements
Every aide we place at an NPS goes through the same four-part process we use for district and family placements: Screen — DOJ Live Scan fingerprinting and reference checks before the aide ever enters the classroom. Train — structured onboarding plus ongoing retraining matched to the population the NPS serves. Supervise — multi-layer supervision with a named single point of contact from senior management, not a rotating call center. Verify — real-time attendance and performance tracking feeding our Quarterly Performance Review Program, so the NPS and the placing district both have auditable data on the placement, not just a promise.
“Blue Horizons provides highly qualified instructional aides who are thoroughly screened and trained. Their ongoing supervision and training have positively impacted our SPED program.”
John D., Teacher
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Blue Horizons work directly with NPS programs, or only with districts?
We staff aides directly for NPS programs. Our 24-hour service center and named point of contact work with the NPS administrator on scheduling and coverage, while our reporting stays visible to the placing district as needed.
Can one aide cover multiple students within an NPS classroom?
It depends on what each student’s IEP specifies. Contact our team with your program’s current roster and staffing gaps and we’ll match aides — Instructional, Behavioral, or Sensory — to what each IEP requires.
