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Levy board flags mental-health staffing, counselor certification and required-instruction mandates as legislative issues
Summary
Board members told consultants that counselor-to-student ratios, limits on who counts as instructional staff, and mandated required instruction (including school CPR and health topics) are creating operational strain. Consultants advised reviewing provisos and exploring deregulation language on staff roles and funding flexibility.
Board members at a Jan. 7 workshop described student mental health and mandated required instruction as top operational problems they want addressed at the state level.
Board Member Mrs. Clemenzi told the group the counseling workload is acute: “Our guidance counselor to student in in our biggest high school is 600 to 1,” she said, adding that the shortage affects teacher recruitment and classroom safety. Several board members said the district is successfully using its mental-health allocation to hire school-based clinicians but that hiring licensed providers in a rural market is difficult.
Consultant Kim McDougall advised the board…
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