Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Student Mental Health topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
School board approves two-year contracts for in-person student mental-health services; sustainability questions remain
Summary
The Campbell County School District approved two-year memoranda of understanding with outside providers to deliver in-person mental-health services using time-limited state grants. Board members and staff pressed for clarity on how services will be sustained after the grants end.
Campbell County School District #1 trustees voted to approve memoranda of understanding with outside mental-health providers to expand in-person counseling services for students, using state grant funding that covers services for two years.
The board first removed the in-person mental-health item from the consent agenda for discussion; a trustee moved to pull the item and the board later returned to consider contracts and related funding. District staff said the work is funded primarily by three grants: the AWARE grant, a state mental-health grant, and other available grant sources, and that the new agreements are time-limited to the grant periods.
“We have a wait list of 65 students,” said Mr. Stranca, the district staff member who the board identified as overseeing the grant, describing current demand for counseling. He told trustees the district’s internal “kid clinic” is down to one counselor and that outside providers were sought to reduce waiting lists. Stranca said the AWARE grant “sunsets next year,” and that the district is pursuing multiple grant sources but cannot promise sustained funding beyond the current grant cycles.
Trustees pressed staff on how much of the grant money will be drawn down in the coming year, whether contracted providers will deliver services on campus or at off-site clinics, and whether families’ insurance will be billed. District staff said uninsured students’ care would be fully funded by grant dollars; for insured students the district will bill insurance and use grant funds to help with unmet deductibles.
Board members and staff described steps intended to multiply the impact of grant dollars on the broader student population, including universal prevention programs such as Hope Squad and teacher coaching from the district’s behavioral leadership effort. Board member Ms. Bruner asked specifically how the district planned to sustain services after two years; district leaders said they currently do not have guaranteed funding to continue the expanded in-person services beyond the two-year grant period and will continue to seek new grants.
After discussion the board called for a vote and the motion to approve the contracts and related agenda items carried (voice vote; roll-call tallies were not specified on the record). The board meeting minutes will list the contracts and the named providers on the agenda.
The vote authorizes the district to enter the short-term contracts and proceed with provider enrollment and referral pathways; district staff said they will present further implementation details — including provider names on the MOU list, parent-permission procedures, and projected budget drawdowns — in follow-up reports to the board.
The decision aligns with the district’s strategic plan objectives to broaden mental-health access but leaves open how the services will be funded after grant expiration.
