Martin County highlights school social service workers; board schedules workshop on snack policy

The Martin County School Board on Dec. 23 heard a district presentation on school social service workers and agreed to schedule a workshop to review snack and vending‑style sales after multiple board members raised concerns about daily student access to ice cream and other processed snacks.

Deborah Riley, director of student services, told the board the district employs 12 school social service workers (SSSWs) who provide individual and group counseling, crisis intervention, attendance and behavior support, home visits and community liaison work. Riley said SSSWs are part of the district's crisis response team, coordinate with school counselors and community agencies, and supported a Thanksgiving basket distribution that the district reported reached more than 20,000 people.

"They are the bridge between our students, our families and our community," Riley said, describing home visits and evening outreach where social workers delivered supplies. She noted SSSWs also log mental‑health services and provide family services and coordination with local partners in Circuit 19 (Indian River, Okeechobee, St. Lucie and Martin counties).

The presentation included outcome data in the meeting packet; Riley said the district provides the counts for the board to review rather than reading each figure aloud.

Board members then turned to a separate but related operational concern raised by Dr. Moriarty, who reported an ice‑cream cooler at Citrus Grove Elementary and argued the availability of sweet treats every day risks student nutrition and classroom behavior. "This should be a treat, not the norm," Dr. Moriarty said, urging the board to consider action.

Superintendent Main responded that the district can and will provide a data briefing: food and nutrition director Laura Homadel will present current practice, the nutritional content of items sold in snack coolers, outstanding meal account balances, and how parents may place purchase restrictions in the point‑of‑sale system. Main said parents can already add flags in their student's account to prevent purchases the same way allergy flags appear at checkout.

Miss Roberts requested sales figures and asked whether an opt‑out can be limited to a number of purchases; staff said the system can accept purchase restrictions and the district will clarify operational details at the workshop. Board members agreed to include the matter in a January workshop (Jan. 6 was proposed as the workshop date) so members can receive detailed data prior to any policy action.

Public commenters who addressed related issues during the meeting echoed staff and board concerns. Kelly Rabado asked board members to visit elementary lunch lines and observe students discarding meals and relying on snack bars; Carol Saki asked the board to prioritize bilingual mental‑health specialists in Title I schools, saying some children are experiencing trauma that requires additional staffing and oversight.

The board concluded the discussion by instructing staff to prepare a thorough presentation on the nutrition items, opt‑out mechanics, and revenue uses so members can weigh equity and operational impacts before making policy changes.