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Board approves contract amendment to add 12 school-based social workers under grant; vote 6-1
Summary
The Blue Valley Board of Education approved an amendment to its Children's Mercy contract to add up to 12 bachelor-level social workers funded by a state mental-health integration grant. The measure passed 6-1 after one board member criticized the expansion as "mission creep."
The Blue Valley Board of Education on Feb. 10 approved an amendment to its contract with Children's Mercy that will allow the district to hire up to 12 additional bachelor-level social workers paid through a mental-health integration grant.
The amendment passed on a 6-1 vote after discussion about funding, program scope and the district’s role in providing nonacademic services. Board member Jim voted against the measure; Board member Clay moved the motion and Jody seconded it.
Board documents and the staff presentation said the grant — which the presenter said began in 2018 and has expanded in subsequent years — routes salary and benefit funds to the district when it hires the positions. The district will receive the grant money for the new hires, retain 65% to offset the district’s salary and benefit expenses and remit 35% to Children's Mercy as the community provider under the existing contract. A district administrator told the board that, under that arrangement, “these 12 additional individuals that will support our children will cost the district nothing.”
During the discussion, the board clarified that the new positions would be district employees (not employees of Children's Mercy), would be placed at higher‑need schools, and would be classified positions so the district could more easily remove them if the grant funding ended. The presenter said districts that start the program in the current grant year are given priority for the following year; the presenter and a board member noted that continued funding next year was expected but not guaranteed.
Board member Jim objected to the amendment’s expansion of services in schools. He called the trend “mission creep,” saying it risks turning schools into “a supermarket where we provide educational services and a bunch of other things, including health services.” A colleague replied, “Educating kids is a complicated, complex, and very labor intensive process,” and urged recognition that students’ needs vary.
No formal dollar amount for the grant was provided in the meeting. The presenter confirmed the mechanics: the district will post job advertisements and hire the staff directly; when salaries and benefits are paid, the grant will reimburse the district and the district will send 35% to Children's Mercy in accordance with the amended contract.
The board approved the amendment, 6-1. The board record shows Clay moved the motion and Jody seconded; Jim cast the lone no vote.
The board did not adopt any additional policy changes during the vote; the action amends the existing Children's Mercy contract and authorizes the district to proceed with hiring under the grant.
