Kearney board approves Hope Squad pilot for grades 6–7 after extended debate on rollout and metrics

The Kearney School District Board of Education voted to approve an agreement with Hope Squad to start a peer-to-peer, adult-facilitated program for sixth- and seventh-grade students.

The program, which the board approved after an extended discussion, will be paid from Clay County Children’s Fund dollars already budgeted to support behavioral health and student support services. Board members asked staff to return later with measurable evaluation data and clarity on parent notification and opt-out procedures.

The board heard a multi-staff presentation from district social workers and building leaders. Amanda Textor, a district social worker, described Hope Squad as “a peer to peer model that has adult facilitators,” and said lessons are age‑appropriate and include both awareness activities and training for nominated student leaders. She told trustees that Hope Squad provides a parent manual and “postvention resources” for responding should a crisis occur.

Kearney Middle School principal Dan Miller said the district’s counseling offices respond to suicide, bullying and other social-emotional issues “almost every day,” and urged trustees to adopt the program. “I wholeheartedly…stand here before you today in support of this program as an advocate for it,” Miller said.

Mitch Masker, introduced in the meeting as a board-certified behavior analyst, said he viewed Hope Squad as another leadership opportunity that can fit into existing student-leadership structures, with a lighter footprint at the elementary level and more structured lessons at the middle school level.

Trustees pressed staff on program details. Board member Jason Clint asked about nomination and parent-notification procedures; presenters said staff would prioritize informing parents before students are told and would provide opt-out options. Trustees also asked how the district would measure success; staff proposed using baseline measures and existing survey tools (Panorama or district surveys) and adding a referral flag to safety-assessment records to track issues first brought to staff by Hope Squad members.

Cost and funding: presenters said initial training and implementation expenses were written into the Clay County Children’s Fund budget approved earlier in the meeting. Presenters noted that training costs are front-loaded and future annual costs would be substantially lower; one estimate discussed in the meeting put recurring annual training costs in a low-thousands-dollar range per building (presenters described a figure of about $2,000 per year as a planning reference). The district said the Clay County Children’s Fund has already budgeted funds for the program; future-year funding would be reassessed annually.

Trustees expressed two consistent concerns: (1) ensuring the program fits into a districtwide K–12 social-emotional strategy rather than standing alone, and (2) establishing clear evaluation measures so the board can determine whether the program reduces harms or improves early reporting. Several board members said they supported a pilot approach—approve now for sixth- and seventh-graders, evaluate results and consider expansion or replacement of other programs later.

The motion to approve the Hope Squad agreement for grades 6–7 passed by voice vote. District staff said they will return with implementation details, parent-notification language and proposed metrics for measuring outcomes.

The board’s action authorizes the district to execute the Hope Squad agreement and proceed with training and implementation for the grades approved by the board.