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Equity office outlines supports for 10,000+ English learners, McKinney‑Vento staffing needs
Summary
Lahi Spurlock, director of Equity and Student Support Services, presented the department's staffing structure, mental‑health and counseling services, partnerships and a focus on English learners (noting over 10,000 ELs in fall counts). Board members questioned staffing levels for McKinney‑Vento services; Spurlock said a dedicated social worker (estimated cost ~$143,000 including benefits) could meet broader needs.
Lahi Spurlock, director of Equity and Student Support Services, updated the school board on April 8 about supports covering equity, school counseling, mental‑health services, social work, the McKinney‑Vento program for students experiencing homelessness, and community partnerships.
Spurlock said the department consists of a director and six coordinators who lead teams providing divisionwide services and partnerships with external organizations such as the Chesterfield Education Foundation and Virginia's Center for Inclusive Communities. She said the division began the year with more than 10,000 English‑learner students and that programming for English learners includes professional learning for teachers and asset‑based supports.
On counseling and mental health, Spurlock described school counselors, mental health support specialists working in feeder patterns, threat‑assessment training (refresher required every three years by the state, which CCPS runs annually) and partnerships with local agencies and child protection services. She highlighted the division's mental‑health interventionists who provide round‑the‑clock coverage in critical circumstances and promoted a May 1 "Spring Into Wellness" fair focused on mental health.
Board members asked specifically about McKinney‑Vento staffing levels. Mr. Panto said prior materials suggested the division might be understaffed to identify all eligible students; Spurlock replied that while a dedicated McKinney‑Vento specialist role has focused responsibilities, a school social worker has a broader scope and could also meet McKinney‑Vento needs. She provided a cost figure: combining a social worker with other needs would be "just over 143" thousand dollars including benefits.
Members also asked about the role and training of school "equity leads" in each building; Spurlock said principals serve as the equity champion in their buildings and equity leads (teachers, department chairs or others) are expected to attend monthly meetings and help embed professional learning in their schools. On psychologists, the division currently lists 35 school psychologists with five bilingual psychologists; Spurlock acknowledged ongoing needs and said no additional psychologist or social work positions had been approved at this time.
Spurlock closed by emphasizing partnerships and the department's collaborative approach to meeting student needs; she invited board members and the community to the May 1 wellness fair and to continue engagement as staffing and budget discussions continue.
