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Ashe County Schools reviews HB 75 mental-health staffing report; district seeks grant funding to hold positions
Summary
The Board received the local report required by House Bill 75 outlining school mental health support personnel levels, funding shortfalls tied to expiring grants and continued reliance on federal and partner funding to keep positions staffed.
Miss Little, a district staff member, presented the local report required under House Bill 75 on school mental health support personnel and told the Board the district has tried to keep key positions intact despite expiring grant funds.
The report lists school psychologists and counselors as ``leveled'' compared with last year, Miss Little said, while social‑work and support positions have fallen from about six to roughly three and a half because several grant sources expired. She said a middle school nurse position that had been funded with ESSER funds was preserved through a partnership with AppHealthCare.
The nut graf: the report shows Ashe County Schools is maintaining core student support staff this year while continuing to rely on short‑term grants and outside partners to avoid cuts that officials say would hurt services for students.
Board members pressed staff about prospects for restoring positions. Miss Little said the district has applied for a Project SERVC (hurricane relief) grant and other federal opportunities and expected to hear back by the end of the week; she noted hiring challenges in rural areas even if funds arrive. "We should hear by the end of the week how much funding that we will receive," she said.
Superintendent‑level staff and the Board discussed how a federal spending freeze could affect award timing and implementation. Miss Little and other staff said they are tracking potential federal pauses and assembling contingency budgets; they emphasized that many mental‑health roles in Ashe County depend on grant funding that the state treats as discretionary.
The Board asked for ongoing updates; the item concluded with the Board accepting the HB 75 report by motion. The action was recorded as an acceptance of the local report; no policy changes were made during the meeting.
Ending: Board members asked staff to continue applying for federal grants and to report back with any awards or hiring changes so the Board can assess substitutions or budget requests.
