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Paramount and district leaders cite rising high-acuity behaviors, mental health needs and safety funding shortfalls
Summary
Charter and district leaders told the subcommittee they are seeing an increase in students with high-acuity behavioral and mental-health needs and urged more resources for specialized staffing, outside contractors, and school security; superintendents also warned that reduced funding risks critical services.
Multiple witnesses told the School Funding Subcommittee that schools are serving more students with high-acuity behavioral needs, and that mental health and school safety services require stable funding.
Stephanie Haines, director of special education at Paramount Charter Schools, said the charter network serves about 500 students with disabilities across eight campuses and has seen more students enroll after receiving services in residential treatment or applied behavior analysis centers without an individualized education plan. "There has been an overall increase in the number of students coming to our schools with high acuity behaviors," Haines said, listing behaviors including self'harm and severe aggression that require targeted interventions.
Haines told senators that these students may require communication devices, 1:1 staff, specialized transportation or outside placements and proposed policy ideas including grant multipliers and statewide navigators. She offered to serve as a resource to the subcommittee.
Separately, Jake Allen, superintendent of Mooresville Schools and representative of a coalition of growing suburban districts, said his district recently averted a possible school shooting because of a tip and rapid response by mental health professionals and law enforcement. He emphasized that many districts are short-staffed for mental health and that without reliable funding, those prevention resources are at risk.
School board and business officers cautioned that operating and transportation costs strain local property-tax-funded operating funds, which in turn leads some districts to transfer money from education funds to cover rising non-instruction costs. Witnesses asked lawmakers to consider targeted categorical funding for special education, ELL and school safety as well as to preserve certain grants outside the base formula so school corporations retain flexibility.
Committee members asked for data on service counts, staffing levels and grant usage; no final action on these proposals was taken during the hearing.
