District to consider $12,000 donation request to continue St. Luke’s YES student mental‑health program

District finance staff told the board that St. Luke’s YES (Your Emotional Strength Support) program has provided on-site therapy and assessments to Pleasant Valley students since the 2022–23 school year and has seen thousands of students across the IU during that period. During the three historical years cited, Pleasant Valley did not contribute financially while the program was grant-funded.

St. Luke’s staff informed districts that some of the COVID‑era grants that funded the work have ended and that St. Luke’s now requests a local donation to sustain the district‑site services. District staff said local districts in the intermediate unit had negotiated differing donation amounts with St. Luke’s; the range cited in the discussion was approximately $10,000 to $25,000 per district. The district asked the board to put a $12,000 donation item on the next board meeting agenda for approval; staff said the $12,000 equates to roughly $6 per student when averaged across recent service numbers.

Staff clarified that St. Luke’s will continue to provide services in the district regardless of the donation; the requested money would be used to cover charges that are not billable to a student’s insurance or to fund services for uninsured families. Board members asked whether St. Luke’s provides de‑identified accounting of insurance‑billing vs. district‑covered services; staff said that data had not been provided to the district during the presentation. Several board members expressed support for the program and for placing the donation on the regular agenda for a public vote; one board member stated financial reservations and noted they would prefer to rely on state grant allocations if available. No final vote was taken at the working session.