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District expands student supports: free home-based therapy, new SLP hire and parent advisory appointment
Summary
Trustees heard that Care Solace/Daybreak Health services will return under a California grant offering free home- and school-based therapy for TK–8 students, approved a full-time in-person speech-language pathologist contract to address caseloads, and appointed a parent representative to the community advisory council; motions passed 3-0.
The board heard three related items concerning student supports and staffing.
Mental-health services: Dr. Somer Prather Smith explained the district’s prior contract with Care Solace and said a new California grant allows Care Solace to provide services at no charge to the district through Daybreak Health. Under the grant model, students under age 10 will be referred for family-based (home) therapy and students aged 10 and older may receive individual services at school or at home; staff said the district will not collect family data but Care Solace will collect insurance information for grant reporting. "This is free of charge," Dr. Prather Smith said, and staff characterized the item as informational because there is no district cost.
Speech-language services and evaluations: Melanie Grundy, director of special education and student services, said SLP caseloads are rising and the district typically caps SLP workload at 55 students; she presented a full-time, in-person speech-language pathologist to support two sites currently above that cap. The board approved the SLP contract by a 3-0 vote. The board also approved two independent educational evaluations requested by parents.
Community advisory council: Staff recommended Darcy Lopez as the parent representative to the district’s community advisory council; the board approved the appointment 3-0 and thanked her for volunteering.
Trustees and staff emphasized that some services (for example, swim lessons and after-school meals) are being expanded in partnership with local organizations and the YMCA, and that transportation routing adjustments were made to support students affected by the McKinnon closure.
