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Board hears counselor and social-worker staffing and data showing more student contacts and reduced certain referrals
Summary
Effingham County school staff reported increases in counselor contacts and individual sessions, decreases in some alert and referral types, and several local school-level improvements tied to counseling and social-work interventions.
District staff presented an update on school counselors and social workers that highlighted expanded services and a set of measurable changes from the prior year.
Presenters said counselors and social workers delivered 29,888 counselor contacts this year — 9,104 more than the prior year — and conducted 23,884 individual counseling sessions, an increase of 7,728. Small‑group services and classroom guidance figures changed year over year; staff noted some classroom guidance counts were lower this year after storm-related instructional losses.
The district reported 142 'Handle With Care' reports (132 fewer than the previous year) and 11,51 GoGuardian Beacon alerts (255 fewer than the prior year). Social-work staff listed 2,95 academic support referrals, 282 child‑abuse and neglect referrals, 955 family‑services referrals, 63 foster‑care referrals, and hundreds of conferences, home visits and community referrals. Staff said nearly all social workers are being supervised toward LCSW licensure.
Presenters described district SEL work including mindfulness zones created with community partners and a grant that funded five schools’ classroom or resource-room changes. Several schools were singled out for positive outcomes: Blandford Elementary saw a 42% drop in discipline referrals for students in group counseling; other schools reported decreases in behavioral referrals, chronic absenteeism and incidents of suicidal ideation.
District leaders said they will use a districtwide SEL SMART goal to track coping strategies and reductions in disciplinary incidents and self‑harm protocols. The board did not take formal action; staff thanked the board for additional social‑work positions that enabled a shift from reactive case management to proactive interventions.
