[{"_1":2,"_100":-5,"_101":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",5976683,"mediaKeyId","5841199-b2944fdc1cdde9719baaa05c8de891f9","parentId",5841199,"title","District details expanded mental-health staff, school‑based services and employee supports funded in part by referendum","audioSeconds",1461,"startMs",4055000,"endMs",5516000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5841199-b2944fdc1cdde9719baaa05c8de891f9&start=4055&end=5516","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5841199-b2944fdc1cdde9719baaa05c8de891f9/thumbnail_4055000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/5976683/Florida/District-details-expanded-mental-health-staff-schoolbased-services-and-employee-supports-funded-in-part-by-referendum","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/5976683-00052a4572600407303a592793ce8dcb/orig.mp4?Expires=1773535192&Signature=mDDeKerNay~p-3kqz0x9Tj7W6mBgwzOqJF81uenXX-asj8CJEhxon6c4nFDc6NbLKgZhLFzASqHmgsnRI8wsYkJApPoT5rGUn6GF7ffFmOCpi0jWqzX4dw7bK1AQlmrINgMXhIhwhu8qAKVhIiYDXjPNGojKuhaZgb2kk5y4lrMkJ~hva6vUu0T1kUW1DompU~g-sqzjnQnqFsjiHwozciy-WX7nxNjUk5cTLykmGuOTV2-WsATNLUVgyswEmQClKCdnvuo-xUMBJjenzp4ID8fuL5NG9h4hYqwvFZi3tNEAnuIAp7Jrvq0ZC11Aqal7aLxdnrvPYeJNuTuoMW9Edg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","St. Lucie County School District","date","2025-09-23T00:00:00Z","article","St. Lucie Public Schools used its Sept. 23 workshop to brief the board and the public on school‑based mental‑health services, staff counts, training and community partnerships the district says help identify and support students and employees in need.

Heather Rowland, executive director of student services, and Esther Rivera, director of student services, described a multi‑tiered system of supports. Rivera told the board the district employs 106 certified school counselors, 20 school social workers, 11 school‑based mental‑health counselors and 17 school psychologists; those staff provide universal prevention, small‑group and individual clinical interventions at school sites. Rivera said the district used referendum funding to expand its team.

“Open dialogue about mental health is essential to reducing stigma,” Rivera said, introducing short video testimonials from students, teachers and caregivers about counseling in schools.

Dr. Michelle Gillard, the district’s coordinator of mental health and psychological services, described the tiered model: tier 1 universal work (mental‑health awareness, Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports, Kids at Hope), tier 2 small‑group counseling and mentoring, and tier 3 intensive one‑to‑one interventions that include suicide risk assessment. Gillard said the district has delivered suicide‑prevention instruction through the Signs of Suicide (SOS) curriculum in ninth grade since 2016 and that the district has taught Youth Mental Health First Aid since 2015. “We have been teaching mental health first aid here in St. Lucie public schools since 02/2015,” Gillard said; she said the district had already surpassed the Department of Education’s annual training goal and was at about 83 percent trained to date.

Gillard and Rivera described how schools follow up on SOS exit tickets and how mental‑health staff respond within 24 hours when a student indicates a need. For clinical risk assessment the district uses the Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale and follows state and DOE guidance; the transcript shows staff also coordinate with a mobile response team and community partners when more intensive or outside care is needed.

Rivera provided service counts for the previous school year: 1,331 students received school‑based counseling, 966 participated in ongoing individual counseling and 430 participated in group counseling; 239 students were referred to community mental‑health providers under the district’s mental‑health collaborative. Rivera said the district provides funding to pay for counseling services for students who lack insurance and that referrals to community agencies are made with parental permission.

Dr. Helen Wilde described employee supports and a district partnership to grow the counselor workforce. She said the district partnered with Florida Atlantic University on a federal mental‑health grant (the SWELL program) to encourage staff to become certified school counselors; the program produced about 70 percent of the district’s current school counselors, Wilde said. Wilde also summarized employee assistance resources available to staff and their dependents under the district’s “Resources for Living” program, including 24/7 telephonic access, six face‑to‑face counseling sessions per issue per year through a licensed network, legal and financial consulting and a MeQuilibrium wellness app. Wilde said the typical counseling engagement through that program averages about 3.9 sessions and that the face‑to‑face option averaged about 4.5 sessions in the most recent report.

Board members asked how families request school‑based counseling (school counselors are the first point of contact) and whether training, parental consent and documentation processes were in place for referrals; staff answered that parents are asked for consent for school counseling and that staff document and follow DOE reporting and Baker Act procedures when required. Board members also requested comparative data on outcomes over a longer timeframe; staff agreed to provide historical comparisons.

No board action was taken; the meeting segment was informational and focused on services, training and community partnerships.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","School Board Workshop - September 23, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","At the Sept. 23 workshop St. Lucie Public Schools outlined school-based mental-health staffing, tiered supports, training and community partnerships funded in part by a voter‑approved referendum; district staff also described employee assistance resources available to staff and dependents.","taxTitle","St. Lucie, School Districts, Florida","taxId",15275,"location","Florida","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},5976687,"District reports gains in accelerated math, college coursework and baseline test scores at Sept. 23 workshop",452,838000,1290000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5841199-b2944fdc1cdde9719baaa05c8de891f9&start=838&end=1290","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5841199-b2944fdc1cdde9719baaa05c8de891f9/thumbnail_838000.jpg","/articles/5976687/Florida/District-reports-gains-in-accelerated-math-college-coursework-and-baseline-test-scores-at-Sept-23-workshop","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/5976687-f1fd8c677d5f1b81454e685fe2b2d493/orig.mp4?Expires=1773535192&Signature=D4d2gGygzghx3rzQ3Ovnvee73NZ3gLifGPKjsMXjdoQlRo0QRs43Zk5qScI6uZ-GwJN9WWfdoiaKmCaJAuL-ThXYVD5xKNKfTO07hfa7jPLJKG72XXyDWVqyrPBbJRZNMC1qG3D4vbJ1Pw-yJGQJhq5E2SfAkFsHTDS9ljUpKzcOigHzp4ckqMMDhrotUP8IR6umX3qwA5jwqNRy~KbnmOfMqdQA3GDNMWyrrk51mmxXDdf4gNgD2TY0Dj98y6zxbRY9Y7hEWVf~ZaRWUBy-0JCWxjOfPEUs8e-DEgV2a0sr1UXnhsn~ybdoYwajfi6EL4qrUfZmJjtncc5Ca1-R8w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","St. Lucie Public Schools presented strategic-planning updates Sept. 23 that the district says show expanded access to accelerated coursework, rising enrollment in middle-school high‑credit math, and modest improvements on baseline progress-monitoring (PM1) assessments.

Chief of Schools Dr. Craig Summer told the board the district has increased elementary accelerated-math (AMP) enrollment by 1,511 students over four years — from 453 to 1,964 students in grades 3–5 — and said participation now is “equally proportional to our district enrollment.” He said subgroup AMP enrollment increases included 657 Hispanic students, 520 Black students and 586 White students.

“Last year, 95 percent of our students that were enrolled in AMP scored proficiency on the FAST PM3 exam,” Dr. Summer said, citing results for students taking grade-level assessments above their classroom grade. He also reported middle-school enrollment increases in high‑school credit courses: algebra enrollment rose from 1,232 to 1,746 and geometry from 206 to 300, and the district has seen pass rates of about 95 percent in geometry and roughly 80 percent proficiency in algebra in middle school.

Dr. Summer said high-school college-level course enrollments (ACE, AP, IB and dual-enrollment) grew from 5,918 course enrollments to 13,474 course enrollments — a 128 percent increase over four years. He described the gains as a product of coordinated scheduling, “master schedule audits,” and a concerted push to offer accelerated opportunities in every school.

On district assessment baselines, Dr. Summer told the board PM1 serves as an early-year baseline. He said the district’s PM1 results were modestly higher than last year’s baseline: “We’re a plus 3 overall,” he said, and noted math was up about a point compared with last year. The presentation emphasized that substantial gains are expected during the year and that PM1 is for diagnostic planning rather than final judgments.

The presentation reviewed the district’s performance‑meeting process, which pairs data from a Power BI dashboard with classroom walkthroughs and follow-up deliverables. Dr. Summer said the district holds fall and winter performance meetings aligned with PM1 and PM2 windows and uses executive directors of schools to coach principals and share best practices. The board and staff referenced a Wallace Foundation study to explain the principal‑supervisor model’s potential impact on student learning.

Board members asked clarifying questions about how the district increased access and whether testing volume contributes to family anxiety. Dr. Summer and the superintendent described regular unit assessments, daily checks such as exit tickets and state‑mandated PM1/PM2/EOC administration; they said the district monitors testing minutes and seeks to balance assessment and instruction.

No formal board action was taken during the workshop portion; the session focused on strategy, data and monitoring rather than votes.","Superintendent Dr. Prince and Chief of Schools Dr. Craig Summer told the St. Lucie County School Board on Sept. 23 the district expanded accelerated-math enrollment, college-level course access and shows a modest rise in baseline progress-monitoring scores, and outlined performance-meeting and scheduling work to sustain growth.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},5976691,"School board approves letters of understanding on teacher pay, health coverage and compensation for 2025-26",303,203000,506000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5841199-b2944fdc1cdde9719baaa05c8de891f9&start=203&end=506","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5841199-b2944fdc1cdde9719baaa05c8de891f9/thumbnail_203000.jpg","/articles/5976691/Florida/School-board-approves-letters-of-understanding-on-teacher-pay-health-coverage-and-compensation-for-2025-26","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/5976691-f5e98915f0494884215c76b60446f764/orig.mp4?Expires=1773535192&Signature=mRkZnYIAEb6LZ7J2m6UBUFZncNkoRzHFkUDle23TRs2s59Q334CEZfDP3~Yi5KmXhlREf3jiHJfBCGfUwU6DtxaDK0QAhfXM985R8vD44wYpvxkFRn3iYVG18djqBs1DGopU6vgrz96Qr2RWDKQd3UaHV5oiC~rwXR6mwNQOZ4Ymti6gebqTa4g1wa~YxD6DExivX-rZ2tsKBOgiiiHAPxMF6g7EizDhUPX7OZ7hXxvvjFRgtg54n5Ui8cr2gF-yvUkNyH0Je-p14Cr8xPHRKyEiOle6vxJaNS3keGBhKhczbObEqTo3ACJ7y-~6ane3Gy712l-mLZxWutAQla2zTg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","St. Lucie County School Board members on Sept. 23 approved multiple letters of understanding covering distribution of the state teacher salary increase, health insurance and compensation for the 2025-26 school year.

Superintendent Doctor Prince recommended the board approve a letter of understanding between St. Lucie Public Schools and the Education Association of St. Lucie Classroom Teachers Association regarding distribution of funds the state allocated for teacher salary increases for the 2025-26 school year. “All children are capable of success. No exceptions,” Doctor Prince said while explaining the administration’s priorities and thanking union partners for negotiating collaboratively. Board member Mr. Ingersoll moved the recommendation and Ms. Holly seconded; the motion carried 4-0 as recorded.

The board then approved a series of additional letters of understanding presented by the superintendent: a health-insurance agreement for the 2025-26 school year; a health-insurance LOU with the Communication Workers of America Local 3181; an agreement addressing referendum and recruitment supplements with the Education Association of St. Lucie Classroom Teachers Association; a teacher compensation LOU with ESOLCTA; and a compensation LOU covering EASL, CU and ProTech. Those motions were moved and seconded as announced and were recorded as carrying by unanimous votes (tallies noted in the meeting minutes: 4-0 or 5-0 where stated).

The superintendent said the letter related to state teacher-salary allocation was on the agenda because the district must submit required paperwork to the state by Oct. 1. He thanked union leaders and district negotiators for collaborative work and said health-insurance terms had been agreed by the parties except for final items still under negotiation with CWA.

After the votes the board adjourned the special meeting and opened the Sept. 23 workshop session.

Decisions and vote tallies reported at the meeting: the board approved the superintendent’s recommendations for each letter of understanding listed on the special-meeting agenda; motions were moved and seconded as recorded in the meeting transcript and carried unanimously as stated.","At a Sept. 23 special meeting the St. Lucie County School Board approved several letters of understanding covering the distribution of state teacher salary increase dollars and health-insurance and compensation agreements for the 2025-26 school year, with motions moved and carried unanimously as recorded.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

District details expanded mental-health staff, school‑based services and employee supports funded in part by referendum

District reports gains in accelerated math, college coursework and baseline test scores at Sept. 23 workshop

School board approves letters of understanding on teacher pay, health coverage and compensation for 2025-26