Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Mental Health topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Budget restores mid-level school-based mental-health services; high-school coverage left for possible additional funding
Summary
The adopted budget restores three elementary school-based mental-health positions plus supervisory support at a mid level; board members said they would prioritize returning additional coverage for secondary schools if extra funds become available.
As part of the budget balancing discussion, staff proposed restoring school-based mental-health services at a mid level, which includes three elementary mental-health clinicians and supervisory support from Polk County. Staff said the package was the mid-level option presented to the budget committee and that it would provide direct support at the elementary level while supervisory resources could help secondary needs.
Board members acknowledged the trade-offs and said if additional revenue becomes available they would prioritize extending coverage to the high school. Staff noted the mid-level restoration was funded through a combination of contingency, a state school-fund estimate adjustment and other small savings. One board member asked whether the supervisor would be sufficient to cover high-need secondary incidents; staff said they would follow up with Polk County on supervisory scope and capacity.
