FLVS mental‑health plan to include threat‑management specialists; state allocation near $3 million

Florida Virtual School leaders told trustees on May 6 that the district's proposed 2025–26 mental‑health plan will use its state mental‑health assistance allocation to hire counselors and add threat‑management specialists, and that the school expects to request board approval of the plan at the June 3 quarterly meeting.

"We hire several counselors, several, threat management folks, mental health specific counselors," Dr. Algaze, FLVS president and CEO, said when the board discussed the mental‑health plan, which FLVS must approve before submitting to the Florida Department of Education. FLVS staff said the estimated allocation for 2025–26 is about $3,000,000 and that, with carry‑forward funds, total planned expenditures are "nearly $3,100,000.0." The district must submit its plan by June 15 to be eligible for the allocation, staff said.

Robin, a FLVS staff member who assisted in the presentation, told trustees the proposed plan adds a threat‑management specialist role that had previously been funded separately. "The major change here is that we're including personnel that also has to do with threat management, which is typically separately funded," Robin said. She described the threat‑assessment work as reviewing referrals to determine a student's level of risk and ensuring appropriate staff are in place to respond.

Trustees asked how students are referred for mental‑health or threat assessments. FLVS staff said referrals come from students themselves, FLVS staff, parents and other school districts. Dr. Algaze and Robin said FLVS provides suicide‑prevention counseling and, because FLVS serves students statewide, maintains a network of in‑person referral resources across Florida when an in‑person evaluation or service is required.

Board member Cornelius asked whether the allocation represented an increase over last year. Robin said the amount was "about the same," noting the addition of the threat‑management role is the primary change. FLVS staff estimated that, if enrollment remains the same, the budget shows roughly a $30,000 increase compared with last year but cautioned the FY25–26 budget was not finalized at the time of the workshop.

FLVS staff referenced the Marjory Stoneman Douglas Act and state mental‑health assistance requirements as drivers of the threat‑assessment work and the need to train staff to identify and respond to students who may pose a threat to themselves or others. The board will consider and is expected to vote on the final mental‑health plan at the June 3 meeting; staff said they will provide trustees with a direct comparison between last year and this year's allocations before the meeting if possible.