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Waynesville outlines school‑counseling staffing, transition and crisis‑response plans
Summary
District counselors reported their staffing mix, three‑tiered supports for social‑emotional needs, student transition activities, and an emotional crisis response plan modeled on the state framework.
Mrs. Long, a district staff member, and Mr. Henson, a district staff member, presented the school counseling program’s end‑of‑year update to the Waynesville R‑VI Board of Education.
The presenters said the district employs 16 school counselors distributed across buildings and that counselors have increased communication with families through newsletters, SchoolMessenger, the Remind app and social media. Mrs. Long said summer activities and registration information are posted on the district website and that counselors supported a senior scholarship Remind campaign that generated positive parent feedback.
Mr. Henson described the district’s three-tiered model for social‑emotional support: universal lessons (Leader in Me and weekly counselor‑led lessons), targeted interventions (small groups, MFL consultants, SST teams) and intensive services (individual counseling, school-based therapists, BCBA-supported behavior plans). The presenters said elementary counselors perform kindergarten visits and tours for incoming students, secondary counselors and student ambassadors lead peer tours, and the district runs freshman transition day and new‑student/parent orientations in August.
The district highlighted an emotional crisis response plan and team led by counselors; Mr. Henson said the plan is modeled on the state model, was recently updated, includes checklists and documentation, and has been used within district buildings and occasionally at neighboring districts. For 2025–26 priorities, presenters said elementary counselors will emphasize college‑and‑career activities within tier‑1 supports and secondary counselors will review the district’s college‑and‑career readiness plan.
Board members asked about bullying reports; Mrs. Long said bullying reports have decreased after counselors developed grade‑appropriate bullying lessons and local procedures for conflict resolution. The presenters did not provide specific counts of bullying incidents during the meeting.
