Dozens of parents, clinicians and students told the Lynn School Committee at its March 27 meeting that proposed reductions to the district’s social-emotional learning staff would harm students and could increase costly out-of-district placements.

Speakers said clinical staff provide crisis intervention, suicide screening and ongoing therapy that keep students in school and out of more expensive placements. "Cuts to the SEL department won't make mental health struggles disappear. They'll only leave more students without the help they need," said Michelle Sheehy, a Marshall Middle School parent.

The public comments came during the meeting’s open-mic period, which the committee reserves for brief public remarks. Several clinicians described the volume of work they handle: Jennifer Fucci, representing the district clinical team, said clinicians supported more than 3,700 students in January alone and that some clinical staff are working an additional 10 to 50 percent of contractual hours to meet demand. She estimated the district will provide approximately 4,000,000 direct service minutes in the 2024–25 school year in compliance with IEP and 504 plans.

Clinical supervisors and social workers told the committee that SEL services help prevent out-of-district placements that can cost $150,000–$200,000 per student per year. “These programs ensure that students who need specialized support are able to receive that within the district, preventing the need for costly out-of-district placements,” Fucci said.

Several speakers offered personal testimony about the effect of clinicians. "They provided resources, suggested accommodations, and most importantly, gave my daughter a safe space and the tools to cope," Sheehy said of Marshall Middle School clinicians. Lindsay Tobin, a paraprofessional who said she received clinician support as a high-school student, said she would not be “here today” without that help.

Speakers noted concrete clinical workloads and safety work: Jessica Nason (clinical supervisor at Shoemaker Elementary) and others said clinicians are often the first point of contact for families seeking mental health services without insurance barriers; the clinical team assessed 91 students for suicidal ideation over 108 school days, an indicator commenters said demonstrates both demand and life-saving intervention.

District leaders had earlier described a projected $6 million budget shortfall that could require reductions in administrative and nonessential positions and noted possible reductions in federal grant funding; the superintendent’s budget presentation (covered elsewhere in the meeting) positioned staff reductions as a last resort while protecting classroom teachers and core programs. Public commenters urged the committee to prioritize protecting SEL staff over administrative reductions.

Committee members did not vote on SEL staffing during the meeting. The superintendent and administration said the budget development process is ongoing and that final staffing decisions will follow the formal budget proposals and municipal process in the coming months.

The committee did not take votes on SEL staffing at this session; speakers asked the committee to preserve the clinical staffing model as district leaders and the committee continue budget deliberations.