Mary Byrne
Several parents and even one of the district’s younger students appeared before the School Committee recently to raise concerns about a plan to move one of the two counselors from Butler Elementary School to Chenery Upper Elementary School.
The reallocation of resources comes as the district prepares to move the fourth-grade from the elementary schools to Chenery.
“This is very concerning to me,” Sara Lafkas said to School Committee members earlier this month. “My daughter was a student at Butler last year, and she struggles with her mental health… We’re very open about that. She was very, very well-supported by the person who was there, who was able to provide her with weekly counseling. It was very instrumental in getting her through the year.”
Lafkas, a licensed social worker, said she is concerned that other students won’t receive the same kind of support if the position moves as planned.
“Given the crisis of youth mental health, I think there needs to be as many resources dedicated to that as possible,” she said. “I’m concerned that by reconfiguring these positions, we might be taking away an opportunity to prevent issues that might get greater over time.”
Others in the room—including Lafkas’ daughter—echoed a similar concern. Particularly in the wake of the Proposition 2 ½ override, which voters passed in April, some felt they had been “lulled into a false sense of security” regarding the budget and what it would be able to provide for the district if passed.
School Committee Chair Meghan Moriarty said the committee had not yet had an opportunity to speak with the administration about how counselors would be impacted by the reconfiguration plan.
“We hear you, and we understand the concerns about student mental health,” she said. “I think the School Committee shares your concerns – we’ve stated that many times in our [Youth Risk Behavior Survey] discussion and the discussion about the ARPA (American Rescue Plan) positions.”
In a discussion about the fiscal year 2025 budget— after which the committee voted in support of a $66.9 million general fund budget, representing a $4 million, or 6.36% increase, over FY24 — Superintendent Jill Geiser outlined how the district is “budgeting for reconfiguration.” According to Geiser, roughly 35 educators are being reassigned within the district, with specialist teachers and other professionals being redeployed between the lower elementary schools.
“The counselor positions are also part of the movements that are happening,” she said. “We were very cognizant of this idea of what we were adding by way of [full-time equivalents]. That said, we obviously were … making sure we had the resources where we felt like they definitely needed to be. This is about resources following students.”
Butler and Burbank have the lowest enrollment of the four elementary schools.
Geiser said there are other staff at the schools that serve student mental health needs. Sometimes, for example, students may be, directed to a counselor, while other times to a school psychologist or social worker.
“Our look at staffing is partly where the students are and … partly what other roles are in the building that provide services to students,” Geiser said.
Still, some committee members, including Jeff Liberty, wanted to ensure that the change wouldn’t result in a loss of support for students in need and that resources across the district remained equitable. He added it would be helpful to know what social-emotional support is available in each school.
Geiser said student needs will be met. Rather than attaching staff members to a building, they will follow the students.
“Students will get the services, and we can move things around later if we need that,” she said.
Moriarty emphasized to committee members that staffing needs could be revisited at a later date if needed.
“I think it’s a great idea to look at this holistically,” she said. “And I think we can bring that information forward. I also think that if, in that conversation, the School Committee feels strongly … money can be moved around. That can happen with a vote afterward. I think we need to stay within the budget that we have. Clearly, there needs to be more of a conversation about this.”
