Trustees weigh fiscal-stabilization plan as staff, families plead to save school psychologists and mental-health positions

Monterey, CA — At a Feb. 10 board meeting, Monterey Peninsula Unified School District officials presented a draft fiscal-stabilization plan to address an emerging budget gap and updated trustees on the district’s rollout of the California Youth Behavioral Health Initiative (CYBHI). The session drew lengthy public comment from staff, parents and students who warned that proposed reductions to school psychologists, mental-health therapists and supervisory assistants would harm students and weaken legally mandated special-education services.

Superintendent Dr. Diffenbaugh told the board the plan responds to three structural pressures: “expiring COVID relief funding, declining enrollment, and cost escalation,” and said the district must act now to avoid deeper cuts later. He outlined a timeline for community engagement and said the board would receive an updated plan Feb. 24 and likely take final action in early March to meet human-resources notification deadlines.

Mr. Everett, who presented the district’s CYBHI implementation, described how the district partnered with Healthy Campus to bill private insurers for school-based services and to backbill claims to Jan. 1, 2025. He said the district has submitted 9,290 claims and so far “has been reimbursed about $170,657,” with roughly $539,101 pending and an expected total if approved of approximately $709,758. Everett and other staff cautioned that state-level processing delays, denials and technical issues with the billing platform affect projection certainty and that insurance-collection accuracy remains a key challenge.

The district’s presentation on school-psychologist staffing showed historical staffing levels and a projection that the proposal could reduce school-psychologist assignments from current levels to an estimated 15 positions next year. Ms. Rivera, who reviewed the staffing data, said the proposal seeks to preserve state- and federally mandated IEP services while reducing some non-mandated consultation and informal supports at sites.

Board members pressed for alternatives and more analysis. Trustee Sanders asked for concrete scenario options the board could weigh; Dr. Lusk and others urged additional community input and proposed an added March meeting so HR can meet the March 15 notification deadline. The superintendent said staff would prepare alternative scenarios and more opportunities for feedback.

Public comment was extensive. Students and parents described the harm of losing trusted clinicians. Freshman Miley Kerr said she had relied on Marina School psychologist Mrs. Garcia during a difficult time: “I really want her to stay at the school because she’s the only one I feel comfortable with talking to.” Dozens of district mental-health clinicians, school psychologists and classified staff testified about caseloads, crisis response and the role of supervisory assistants in student safety during arrival, lunch and dismissal.

Union and classified leaders asked the board not to shift cuts onto lower-paid frontline staff. Aaron Banick, a behavior technician and local CSEA chapter president, told trustees cuts “cannot be made on classified employees’ backs.” Licensed clinicians warned that splitting psychologists across multiple campuses would reduce the daily check-ins and continuity that clinicians use to manage risk, assess students and meet legal timelines for evaluations and IEPs.

Several speakers noted that many of the services the district bills through CYBHI are intended to offset—but not fully replace—district funding for mental-health supports. District staff echoed that CYBHI is a partial revenue source and that billed services must be delivered and documented first and often paid months later.

On process, the board agreed to hold additional community engagement (an in-person town hall was scheduled for Feb. 11 with Spanish translation) and to aim for a board decision in early March to allow HR to meet required notification timelines. Trustees discussed distributing alternative scenarios to staff and the public in survey form so those who cannot attend meetings can comment.

Votes at a glance: During the meeting trustees unanimously approved several routine and consent items, including a Black History Month resolution (Res. 25/26-14), authorization of district signers (Res. 25/26-15), an architectural-contract amendment for Marina Vista Elementary, a district-wide radio upgrade, playground equipment for Marina Child Development Center, and routine consent-agenda items. Where recorded the votes carried 6-0.

Next steps: The board will receive an updated stabilization plan on Feb. 24, hold additional community engagement opportunities, and expects to act in early March so HR can meet legal notification deadlines. Trustees and staff said they will prepare alternative scenarios and additional written materials to solicit broader feedback before a final vote.

(Reporting by board meeting transcript; quotes and figures taken from public presentations and comments made during the Feb. 10 board meeting.)