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Guidance director: mental‑health screening trends improving; district seeks more counseling capacity and career pathways
Summary
Director of guidance Autumn Windsor told the board ARCAD screener results show a decline in self‑reported anxiety over three years, described new counseling programs, and urged investment in a credentialed mental‑health professional and small facility upgrades for students.
Autumn Windsor, the district’s director of guidance, updated the board on counseling programs, mental‑health screening trends and postsecondary planning.
Windsor said the district’s three‑year ARCAD screening data show a decline in student self‑reported anxiety and credited early social‑emotional work in elementary and middle school for part of that trend while noting underreporting remains possible. “Based on what they are reporting, we are seeing a decline in anxiety over the last 3 years,” Windsor said.
She described counseling work at each level: elementary counselor Morgan Alexander is focusing on relationship skills, resilience and classroom lessons using a pilot curriculum called Be Good People; middle‑school counselor Jenny Garcia is running individual counseling, small groups, a grief group in partnership with an outside provider and breakfast/lunch interventions; and Windsor outlined high‑school lessons and master‑schedule planning.
Windsor highlighted career‑readiness activity: a career day is scheduled for April 24, senior interviews are planned for April 16, and the district is pursuing apprenticeship‑wall grants and visits to technical programs at Central Michigan University and Mid Michigan to strengthen trades pathways. She said dual‑enrollment participation is plateauing while work‑based learning is rising, reflecting a local shift toward non‑college postsecondary options.
On facilities and staffing, Windsor asked the board to consider modest improvements to a mental‑health break room and said the district currently does not employ a credentialed mental‑health professional or school psychologist; she recommended adding elementary counseling capacity and exploring 31A and other funding sources for program expansion.
Windsor asked the board for volunteers and community support for events and program pieces; trustees thanked her and said they would circulate volunteer forms and follow up on staffing and facility ideas.
Next steps identified included confirming volunteer roles for career day, returning with details on apprenticeship grant opportunities and considering budget requests for counseling capacity or facility upgrades.
