Health care
BY BRITTANY ANDERSON
Data shows school counseling use up
Diving in deeper
Breaking it down
Major takeaways
The demand for mental health services has grown at the primary level in LISD, Simmons said. “Many years ago it was probably just second- ary mostly, but we have really pushed to move to early intervention because we know the outcomes are better,” Simmons said. “So, our elementary numbers have really skyrocketed.” LTISD counselors have seen an increase in parent loss this year but in general have seen an increase in anxiety and depression, said Jennifer Garrigan, LTISD’s director of counseling services. EISD has seen an increase in the use of school- based therapists as they have become more integrated on the campuses, EISD director of counseling Heidi Sauer said. “We’re seeing more students and parents really recognizing that that resource exists and is something that they can take advantage of,” Sauer said.
While Sauer, Garrigan and Simmons all said their districts have prioritized mental health funding, they also said additional state resources would allow schools to “make the choices they need.” Both the Eanes Education Foundation and Leander Educational Excellence Foundation help fund some therapist positions in its districts. According to district data, LEEF allocated $157,500 toward counseling and mental health services in 2024-25. The district has also utilized $1.1 million from IDEA-B funds for students with disabilities and $49,400 from Title III funds for English-learner students. “We’re creative,” Simmons said. “We do what we have to do to make sure we have what we need to serve the kids.” Garrigan said she is advocating at the regional level for increased support through grants and partnerships to potentially add more counselors or social workers to LTISD.
LTISD is planning to develop a parent workshop series next school year to educate community members about various topics to better support student mental health, Garrigan said. “When you’ve got kids [who are] hungry or they’re sad or they just lost their parent, how are we expecting them to function as students academically if their needs need to be met emotionally?” Garrigan said. EISD has also worked to offer other counseling support through Texas Child Health Access Through Telemedicine, or TCHATT, Sauer said. Offered to middle and high school students who are referred by school-based therapists, the free virtual program provides up to five intervention sessions for students experiencing high-risk mental health concerns.
Counseling officials in Eanes, Lake Travis and Leander ISDs said their districts have prioritized mental health spending despite ongoing budget challenges, with more elementary students utilizing these services each year. Each district is mandated by state education code to have counselors at each campus who offer guidance with academic challenges, bullying, drug awareness and more. LTISD employs four licensed mental health counselors across its 11 campuses, and EISD employs school-based therapists who are either licensed social workers or professional counselors. The six elementary schools and two middle schools each have one therapist, while Westlake High School has two. LISD’s Student and Family Support Team consists of 15 licensed therapists who are split between the district’s 47 campuses, SFST coordinator Haley Simmons said.
The cost For counseling and mental health services during fiscal year 2024-25, districts spent:
Students utilizing counseling services in Eanes, Lake Travis ISDs The data is based on students who received counseling or mental health services in the 2024-25 school year in EISD with an enrollment of 7,595 and LTISD with an enrollment of 11,010. Elementary School Middle School High School
$2.6M in Eanes ISD
$3.4M in Lake Travis ISD
$18.9M in Leander ISD
Eanes ISD
2,032
SOURCES: EANES, LAKE TRAVIS, LEANDER ISDS/COMMUNITY IMPACT
814
1,371
“At the end of the day it’s that state allocation of money that we are waiting on, and unfortu- nately, it’s being cut,” Garrigan said. “If we don’t have the funding for positions, that’s less people in the building that can help with mental health. ... It’s detrimental.”
Lake Travis ISD
4,630
2,627
3,489
NOTE: LEANDER ISD DATA WAS NOT AVAILABLE AS OF PRESS TIME.
SOURCES: EANES ISD, LAKE TRAVIS ISD/COMMUNITY IMPACT
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