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District asks for more care‑and‑safety staff and steady funding for mental‑health partners
Summary
The student wellness office requested 22 additional care and safety assistants (CSAs) to provide one CSA per elementary school and to meet proposed staffing ratios at secondary schools, and requested continued funding for mental health partners; board members asked for partner performance data.
The office of student wellness presented priority requests intended to sustain safe and supportive school climates. The office asked the board to fund 22 additional care and safety assistant (CSA) positions and to set the entry salary for new CSAs at $44,000 to improve recruitment and retention and to make Richmond more competitive with neighboring divisions.
Staff said the district currently has 80 CSAs and has lost 19 since the prior summer, noting that 25–30 positions are filled by employees with three years or less tenure. The request for 22 additional CSAs would allow every elementary school to have a CSA on site and would help secondary schools meet a target ratio of roughly one CSA per 100 students where enrollment requires it.
Mental‑health partners: The wellness office requested continued funding for community providers that deliver school‑based mental‑health services, naming local partners that include RBHA, ChildSavers and Communities In Schools (CIS). Board members asked for outcome data and a clear account of which partners serve which schools, what services they deliver, and measures of impact. The wellness director said the district convenes monthly meetings with partner providers and will provide the board with data on caseloads, services and results.
Board feedback: Several members urged the district to prioritize quality and accountability when contracting or renewing relationships with external providers and to consider recruitment and retention strategies for CSAs, including bringing current lower‑paid CSAs up to the new entry minimum to reduce turnover.
