The Boulder Valley School District Board of Education reviewed the Be Well action plan on Oct. 28, 2025, a staff-led response to recommendations from the Renee Crown Wellness Institute at the University of Colorado Boulder to strengthen student mental-health supports across the district.

School and district leaders told the board the plan pairs the Crown report’s recommendations with the district’s Multi-Tiered System of Supports for behavior (MTSS-B) evaluation, and prioritizes 10 Year‑1 actions alongside ongoing initiatives to improve screening, data-driven decision making and classroom-level Tier 1 practices.

“The aim of the Be Well study was to learn about our practices, our programs, our policies, and to gather and analyze the perspectives of those who are closest to students’ daily lives,” said Dr. Chris Brecht, director of strategic initiatives, summarizing the partnership’s goals. The district’s review identified 29 recommendations and a subset of items the district classified as Year 1 priorities, ongoing work and future considerations.

MTSS-B review and data. Shannon Gamble, BVSD director of MTSS, said the district used a fidelity rubric adapted from the American Institutes for Research to evaluate MTSS implementation at every school. That review showed relatively consistent restorative practices and declining suspension rates over three years but uneven use of social-emotional screening and data-driven decision processes across schools.

“There's a real opportunity here to improve the consistency across all schools when it comes to using data about students’ social, emotional and behavioral needs,” Gamble said. She urged consolidating assessments and expanding professional development so schools can identify which students need support, at what tier, and whether supports are working.

Year‑1 actions. District leaders outlined 10 Year‑1 actions that map to Crown recommendations and to the MTSS-B review. Those steps include: (1) inventorying and aligning district programs and community partnerships to avoid duplication; (2) improving awareness of mental-health resources in middle and high schools; (3) evaluating fiscal sustainability for existing high‑school wellness centers before any expansion to middle schools; (4) strengthening training so staff recognize early signs of mental-health concerns; and (5) enhancing coordination between departments that support student mental health.

Senan Nauer, director of student support services, said the action team will first make sure existing programs match students’ greatest needs and then work with outside partners where appropriate. “These recommendations are about strengthening our systems of coordination, ensuring consistent support for mental health across all levels, and building a culture where students truly feel valued and included,” he said.

Family outreach and measurement. Tammy Lawrence, director overseeing counselors and mental-health advocates, described plans to redesign communications, establish clearer referral pathways for families and co‑design materials with parents and students. The district will also work with its accountability and evaluation team to modify the annual student and family climate surveys to better capture awareness and use of mental-health services.

Wellness centers and sustainability. Staff told the board the Crown report recommends considering wellness-center expansion to middle schools but stressed that financial sustainability of the current high‑school centers must be resolved before any expansion. “We must ensure fiscal sustainability for the current wellness centers before we can make decisions about expanding the program,” Nauer said.

Board discussion and concerns. Trustees pushed staff for practical details about professional learning time, staffing pressures at schools and the interaction between declining enrollment and available frontline staff. Board member Jason pointed to examples of reduced counselor FTE at some schools and asked how the district would staff expanded services. Dr. Anderson, the superintendent, said staffing and budget tradeoffs will be addressed during the district’s upcoming budget process.

Next steps. Staff said they will continue the action-team work, refine timelines and return with more detailed implementation plans and budget implications as part of the district’s regular reporting and the January prioritization process.

Ending note. District leaders emphasized that the Crown review did not identify major harmful practices and that the plan focuses on amplifying what is working, closing gaps in screening and measurement, and coordinating resources so schools can deliver consistent social, emotional and behavioral supports.