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District highlights Healthy South Texas designation and expands counseling, virtual services and career centers
Summary
RFISD announced that every school in the district has been designated a Healthy South Texas school this year, and the board heard a detailed counseling‑department plan that includes a comprehensive RFISD counseling model, Daybreak Health virtual counseling (free to district but billed to parents’ insurance/Medicaid), wellness centers on campuses and expanded career exploration centers.
The Rockport‑Fulton ISD board heard two complementary presentations on Sept. 16 about student health and counseling supports: a Healthy South Texas designation overview and a district‑wide counseling model intended to expand prevention, guidance and career counseling.
Megan Glidden of Texas A&M AgriLife Extension said the district’s participation helped lead to a rare outcome: "This is the first year that every school within the district is designated a Healthy South Texas school," she said, describing programming that includes family‑focused nutrition and activity initiatives such as Walk Across Texas and other school wellness activities that contributed to statewide reporting.
Candy Morris, the district counseling lead, presented a new RFISD comprehensive counseling model aligned to the Texas model but tailored to local priorities. The plan is organized into five sections (team introduction and roles; program implementation; required elements and locally developed content; delivery components including guidance curriculum, individual planning, responsive services, and system support; and curriculum components focused on interpersonal effectiveness and post‑secondary planning). Morris described tools and programs already in use (CharacterStrong, Xello, Quaver, Goodheart‑Wilcox) and explained plans for expanded services:
- Daybreak Health: a virtual counseling option presented as a new initiative that was provided free to the district; however, parents use private insurance or Medicaid to pay for individual licensed counseling sessions, and counselors will manage referrals based on student needs.
- Wellness and career centers: funding and grants have supported campus wellness rooms and career exploration spaces (from library corners to dedicated classrooms) aimed at connecting counseling, guidance and career planning.
- Peer and prevention programs: expansion of the Hope Squad (suicide‑prevention peer supports) and a newly formed Kindness Squad at Live Oak were highlighted as student‑led prevention efforts.
Morris said the counseling model is intended as both a working reference for counselors and an onboarding tool for new hires; the district plans to post resources and community referrals on the website following board review. Trustees asked clarifying questions about parental consent requirements and the cadence of guidance curriculum across grade bands; Morris and staff reiterated that some state‑required topics require parental opt‑out/consent and that the district has posted consent forms via Skyward.
What this means: The district is moving to formalize counseling delivery across campuses, add remote counseling capacity via Daybreak Health for licensed services, and continue building career pathways with partner organizations.
