Senators press education officials on counselor staffing, mental health funding and Guardian pay
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Summary
Senators asked whether new mental‑health allocations fund additional student‑centered counselors, pressed the department for counselor‑to‑student ratios, and sought clarity on pay differences and oversight for the Guardian program; officials agreed to follow up with data.
During the appropriations hearing senators pressed the Department of Education and the governor's budget staff for details about how newly proposed mental‑health funding would be used and how districts oversee Guardian program contracting.
Senator Jones asked whether the mental‑health allocation increase "is that including putting more counselors who are more student centered, direct student services," or simply additional duties for existing counselors. Shelby Salmons and Commissioner Stasi Kamutsis told the committee the funding could be used both to bolster existing counselors or allow districts to hire additional staff, and they agreed to provide counselor‑to‑student ratio data on request.
Several senators and committee members described a gap between recommended mental‑health staffing levels and current staffing. Pinellas County School Board member Laura Heine said the recommended ratio is roughly one mental‑health professional per 1,106 students (transcript noted 1 per 1,106 as the recommended ratio) and reported Pinellas currently at about 1 per 2,203 students, illustrating the shortfall.
Committee members also raised pay disparities between locally employed school guardians and contract guardians/security specialists; Senator Jones cited figures for school‑board guardians at about $22 per hour and contract guardians at $28 per hour and asked why the difference exists. Commissioner Kamutsis said Guardian arrangements are district decisions and often involve contracts with local sheriff's offices; the department agreed to follow up with more detailed information about pay structures and contract models.
On program performance, President Gates said roughly 53 of 67 school districts have opted into the Guardian program and asked about outcomes and concerns. The commissioner noted sheriffs approve guardian training and referenced "100 [sic]‑44 hours" of training overseen by sheriffs, said many early concerns have been addressed over seven years of implementation, and offered to share examples of guardian interventions with senators offline.
No formal policy changes were adopted at the hearing; department staff committed to provide the requested data to senators.
