Board debates school-based crisis and mental health coordinator; motion to table fails amid split votes

Superintendent Dr. Garrick Askew presented a revised School Crisis and Mental Health Services Coordinator job description on March 17, describing a school‑based role focused on direct student support, coordinating crisis responses, implementing prevention services, and connecting students to community mental-health resources.

Dr. Askew said the position would be school‑based (rather than centrally housed), report to the Chief Operations Officer, and help ensure consistency in crisis response across schools. He also told the board the role aligns with federal requirements under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) and was proposed in response to recent mental-health incidents in the district; the minutes note “multiple significant incidents including two suicides within the district.”

Board members debated how this revised job description differed from a previously rejected version and asked where the position would report. Mrs. Aurie Jenkins asked how the revised proposal differed; Dr. Askew said the key change was placing the employee in schools rather than at central office. Ms. Ashley Davis asked about reporting lines and was told the position would report to the Chief Operations Officer.

A motion to table the job description was made by Mrs. Aurie Jenkins and seconded by Ms. Ashley Davis. The minutes contain inconsistent vote-record entries for the motion, but they record that the motion failed and the job description was not adopted at the March meeting.

Next steps: The board did not adopt the job description at this meeting. Administration described the role and its intended functions and may return with revised language or additional details at a future meeting.