Lockport Township HSD 205 says social-worker caseloads nearly double area norm; recommends doubling staff

Dr. Bob McBride, superintendent of Lockport Township High School District 205, told the board in a Jan. 26 meeting brief that a district study found social workers are carrying "almost 900 students for every social worker," far above an area range of "about 400, 500 students per social worker." He said the administration will recommend doubling the district's social-worker staff during the January–March staffing review for the next school year.

The recommendation, McBride said, is intended to shift social workers out of "crisis mode" and free time for proactive supports such as seminars, early interventions and work with students not served by individualized education plans. "They have to work with students in our special education department to fulfill individual education plans, and they have very, very little time left over for students to proactively work with them," McBride said.

McBride framed the staffing proposal as part of broader attention to students' social and emotional needs, which he said should receive "as much attention as the academic well-being" of students. He characterized the caseload figures as the district's finding from a study presented to the board and described the 900 figure as an approximation derived from that internal review.

The administration's next step is the routine staffing-review process in January, February and March, during which the board and administration will evaluate personnel changes for the coming school year. McBride did not provide a timeline for hiring or a precise head count for new hires; those details will be developed during the staffing process and brought to the board for consideration.

The brief did not include a cost estimate or identified funding source for the additional hires; McBride said the district will consider staffing alongside other budgetary tools during planning.