District officials told the board they received a state award to expand school‑based clinic mental‑health services and have hired a therapist to join the clinic team.

"In April we were notified that we had been awarded the grant," said a district presenter summarizing a DESE grant process that offered three years of decreasing funding to establish or expand school‑based clinic services. The initial award enabled the district to hire an additional mental‑health therapist identified in the meeting as Dre Carson.

Staff said the grant covers the new hire's salary and other clinic costs for the grant period; one district leader described the first‑year award as $150,000 and suggested the three‑year total was about $325,000. Administrators said clinic staff will pursue third‑party billing (Medicaid/insurance) to transition to a sustainable model after the grant period ends.

The district reported that clinic staff are carrying full or near‑full caseloads and that the new hire previously worked in the district and therefore could begin serving students quickly. Trustees raised no objections and had no formal vote tied to the grant announcement; staff took questions about grant size and billing approach.

District leaders said the award will allow the Panther Health and Wellness Clinic to serve more students and enhance mental‑health supports in schools across the district.