Mukwonago board hears that mental-health access and staff shortages are straining special-education services

Christine, the district's student services director, told the board on June 15 that staffing shortages and persistent demand for mental-health care are stressing special-education services.

She said the district currently serves 649 students with individualized education programs (IEPs), about 14% of enrollment, and 367 students with 504 plans. That means nearly 22% of students are identified with an area of impairment requiring accommodations or services, she said. Christine warned that special-education reimbursements remain "well below where they should be," forcing the district to seek temporary agency staff or out-of-district placements when it cannot hire in-house, which can be two to three times the cost of regular staff.

"If we need to place a child elsewhere, in addition to a tuition rate we also have to pay to transport that student," Christine said, estimating transportation costs "anywhere between $20 to $30,000." She added that unpredictable student needs and changing enrollment make budgeting for special education difficult.

Christine also reviewed the district's contract with a mental-health navigation vendor (recorded in the meeting as "Carousalis/Carousales," commonly known as Care Solace). Use peaked in 2024-25, when the district logged 114 cases and 51 appointments secured; in 2025-26 the district saw 56 cases and 18 appointments. The district pays a flat annual fee; staff said the contract was originally $18,000 a year and the vendor offered a reduced rate of $10,000 for the current year. The contract is in its final year.

"No navigation tool is going to fix the fact that there are no counselors or therapists available," Christine said. Board members asked whether the usage decline reflected an actual reduction in need or delays and poor user experience; Christine said families report long wait times and sometimes give up before services are secured.

The report also covered behavioral trends and discipline data. Christine highlighted strong results under the district's cell-phone policy, reporting first-offense incidents at the high school fell from 414 to 163 after enforcement. On bullying, the district recorded 52 confirmed and 32 unconfirmed investigations this year, up from 37 confirmed the prior year. The district completed four Title IX investigations handled by Rachel Herman.

Next steps, Christine said, include continued review of the mental-health navigation tools, closer outreach to families about access, expanded staff training (including mental-health first-aid), and continued partnerships with county agencies and private providers to expand capacity.

The board did not take formal action on the mental-health contracts during the meeting; staff said they will bring contract options and recommendations back for future consideration.