Westerville schools outline student-wellness spending as state funding falls; reading groups shrink from five to four under law

Westerville City Schools officials on Monday presented the district’s annual Student Wellness and Success and Disadvantaged Pupil Impact Aid plan, saying state dollars have decreased while the district continues to use local funds to maintain counseling, nursing and reading-intervention services.

District staff told the board the Student Wellness and Success allocation for fiscal 2026 is estimated at $995,035.26, a reduction of $241,747 from last year, and the Disadvantaged Pupil Impact Aid estimate is $1,028,052, reduced by $22,008.72. Miss Marshall, the district treasurer, said those cuts reflect a drop in the state share and emphasized these are reporting requirements for funds the district already receives.

The report detailed how the district spends those dollars. School social workers, mental-health staff and nurses are supported with wellness funds; at the elementary level, Disadvantaged Pupil Impact Aid mainly funds small-group, evidence-based reading intervention aligned to the science of reading. Cheryl Relford, a district staff member who oversees elementary reading services, said a recent change in legislation required the district to lower…