Teachers and community urge board to preserve social-emotional learning supports

During public comment, seven speakers — teachers, building administrators, parents and a retired nurse — urged the board to protect social-emotional learning (SEL) staff and programs. Matt Steele, president of the Monroe City Education Association, said SEL is "vital to maintain safe and secure learning environments" and warned that removing SEL staff would impair teachers' ability to manage classrooms and would risk families leaving the district.

Several speakers described classroom incidents, daily reliance on specialized support staff and research suggesting SEL programs improve academic outcomes. Principal Scott Hopper said SEL work is not "an add-on" but part of instruction, and first-grade teacher Marla Nininger said she has relied on support staff to manage intense student behaviors so she can teach the rest of her class. Parent Caitlin T Carm noted state funding follows enrollment and said even a small retention hit could outweigh program savings: "If these cuts lead to a mere 1% drop in retention, just 45 students... you will lose over $450,000 in annual state funding," she warned. Speakers asked the board to engage staff and community and to avoid cuts that would eliminate SEL positions before exploring alternatives.