Chandler Unified approves HealthCorps memorandum of understanding after board limits sessions to after-school clubs

Chandler Unified School District trustees voted unanimously on March 26 to approve a memorandum of understanding with HealthCorps Inc. that will bring a college-student–led health and wellness club to district campuses for students in grades 5–12, after board members amended the MOU to restrict any programming to an after-school, opt-in club format.

The amendment came after several trustees expressed concern that the HealthCorps activities could stray into behavioral-health counseling. Board member Kurt Rohrs said he would vote against the MOU as originally written, calling out Arizona law restricting the practice of behavioral-health counseling by unlicensed individuals. “This is sounding awful like behavioral health counseling to me,” Rohrs said, and urged legal review by the state board that licenses behavioral-health counselors before the district proceeded.

HealthCorps representative Jacqueline LaPlante and district staff emphasized the program is educational and voluntary, not counseling. “We partner with colleges and universities. We come in and teach about health topics. We’re not asking students to change behavior through counseling,” LaPlante said, listing topics such as nutrition, stress management and healthy relationships. District counselor Kristine Ryan added that the program requires written parent or guardian permission and that college-age mentors are fingerprint-clearanced before campus work.

Trustees first considered a motion to table the MOU pending review by the state Board of Behavioral Health Examiners; that motion received a tie and failed for lack of a majority. Trustee Michael Heap then moved to amend the MOU to remove classroom implementation language and limit HealthCorps sessions to after-school club settings; the amendment passed and the board subsequently approved the amended MOU. The record shows the amendment was adopted during the meeting and the final approval was recorded as unanimous.

Why it matters: The program will create new voluntary, mentor-led health and wellness club opportunities across the district for students who opt in with parental permission. Trustees debated the limits of the district’s role in supporting student well-being and sought explicit safeguards — fingerprint clearance, parental consent, and an after-school-only setting — before approving the partnership.

Details of the agreement and board direction

- Scope: HealthCorps will co-facilitate weekly health-and-wellness sessions (up to 90 minutes) and host monthly campus events; district staff said CUSD will implement the program as after-school clubs only. Participants must have parent/guardian permission and mentors undergo clearance checks. - Legal review: District attorneys reviewed the MOU prior to the meeting; trustees requested continued diligence to avoid crossing into licensed behavioral-health services. - Board actions: A motion to table the MOU pending external review failed on a tied vote; an amendment to restrict sessions to after-school clubs passed; the amended MOU was approved by the full board.

Quotes

“This is sounding awful like behavioral-health counseling to me,” Board Member Kurt Rohrs said during debate, urging review by the state licensing board.

“We partner with colleges and universities... We’re not asking students to change behavior through counseling,” Jacqueline LaPlante, HealthCorps representative, said, emphasizing the program’s educational scope.

What comes next: District staff said schools that express interest will pilot clubs and the program can expand campus by campus. Administrators also said they will monitor implementation and report back to the board if any concerns arise.

Provenance: The HealthCorps presentation began with the district’s item introducing the MOU at 46 minutes into the meeting and the final vote occurred later in the evening during the action-items sequence.