Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Mental Health Allocation topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Dr. Johnson outlines mental‑health allocation plan; board hears about 80% referral connection rate
Summary
At a July 14 workshop, Dr. Johnson presented the annual Mental Health Assistance Allocation Plan, reporting roughly $2.87 million in FEFP funding expected, 299 completed therapeutic referrals and about an 80% successful connection rate to community services; the board pressed staff on counselor ratios and sustainability of positions funded by roll‑forward dollars.
Dr. Johnson, presenting the district’s annual Mental Health Assistance Allocation Plan at the July 14 workshop, described a three‑tier MTSS approach that pairs universal prevention and resiliency instruction with targeted interventions and individualized supports.
Dr. Johnson said the plan relies on school psychologists, counselors, behavior intervention plans (BIPs) and functional behavior assessments (FBAs), and on an expanding network of community partners: “We are now in up to 30 plus [interagency agreements], which is incredibly important,” she said. She reported the district had 299 completed referrals this year and an approximately 80% successful connection rate for students referred to community services.
Why it matters: the allocation is an annual state requirement and a primary source for personnel who deliver the supports on campus. Dr. Johnson described how the district documents interventions in the SIS, conducts fidelity checks and reports outcomes to the state, and how CARES/MHART teams coordinate warm handoffs from school‑based staff to community providers.
Board members pressed staff on capacity and continuity. One board member asked for counselor ratios; district staff said elementary schools start with one counselor and add a second at 750 students, middle schools add a second at 700 students, and high schools average about 450 students per counselor. Staff noted preK–8 schools use the middle‑school ratio.
On funding, Dr. Johnson said the district is “anticipating about $2,870,000 from the FEFP for our funding,” and that roll‑forward monies account for additional dollars on hand. Board members raised a concern that roughly $1 million in roll‑forward funds are being used to retain personnel and asked what the district’s off‑ramp plan is when one‑time funds are exhausted. District leaders said they plan using a mix of strategic budget planning, other grant sources (for example Title II/III/IV) and philanthropic support to sustain key positions where possible.
Several board members asked the district to provide more disaggregated data for legislative advocacy — for example, an overlay of students receiving mental‑health services with Title I status, attendance and discipline metrics — and staff agreed to bring school‑level breakdowns and further analysis to upcoming work sessions.
Next steps: staff will finalize the allocation plan and place it on the board’s upcoming agenda for formal consideration; the district also committed to providing the requested data overlays and additional reports on the CARES/MHART referral outcomes.
