District leaders presented an extensive update on student mental health services and how board investments have translated into expanded staff and partnerships.

Leah Eser, Executive Director of Student and Staff Supports, and Tracy Scherr, Director of Mental Health, described a layered, school-based continuum of care that includes school psychologists, social workers, counselors and nurses working with contracted community partners to provide prevention, early identification and timely intervention. "Student mental health and well-being are essential to success," the presentation said, and highlighted the district's "5 to Thrive" campaign as a way to make resources more visible to students and families.

The district said mental health literacy presentations to school staff are near-universal: presenters reported that 98 percent of schools had completed a mental health literacy presentation this year compared with 84 percent previously. Leaders also described universal screening across grade levels and reported that 5,543 students were screened last school year; more than 1,300 students received individual follow-up interviews after screening.

Presenters outlined referral and navigation supports, including a bilingual district mental health navigator and the Care Solace online navigation platform. They said Care Solace served 261 individuals last school year and the district's bilingual navigator served 58 students and families "through hundreds of sessions." Building Bridges (a Dane County program administered in partnership with Catholic Charities) offered wraparound services and served 115 students last year, and UW child and adolescent psychiatry partners provided evaluations and consultations.

The district described capacity gains and constraints. Staffing investments since 2020–21 were characterized as an increase of nearly 29 full-time-equivalent positions across student services, and Behavioral Health in Schools (BHS) was expanded by six schools this year to a total of 22 schools. Presenters said average time between referral and first service is about nine days.

The presentation closed with an announcement that the district had been awarded a $1,900,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Education to prepare school psychologists for early intervention and intensive mental health services; the award, as described, will support up to 10 practicum students and interns working in MMSD each year for four years.

Board members pressed on access and equity issues in a long Q&A. Board member Vander Meulen asked whether stigma and immigration-related fears are reducing access for bilingual families; presenters acknowledged those concerns and said relationship-building and multiple entry points are central to addressing fear-based nonparticipation. Several board members asked whether the district’s reliance on external partners is sustainable if partner funding declines; staff said program designs include local funds and sustainability planning but acknowledged uncertainty in state-level funding timing and amounts. Questions about the availability of inpatient beds for students with severe needs were raised but not resolved in detail during the meeting.

On data and evaluation, board members sought clearer disaggregation and operational metrics tied to program decisions. Presenters said program-level surveys (student satisfaction, therapist-rated goal attainment, parent/teacher satisfaction) and partner reporting are used to measure impact, and they committed to providing more detailed demographic breakdowns and staffing-ratio documentation on request.

The board’s discussion closed with an emphasis on reducing stigma, sustaining partnerships, and improving data needed for budget decisions and targeted expansions.

Ending: The board did not take a formal vote on additional mental health funding at this meeting; presenters said more baseline and program-level data would be provided to the board ahead of budget deliberations.