BY CHLOE YOUNG
The cost
The bottom line
Providing mental health support satisfies a basic need for students, Clark said. While the district can offer great academic programs, students may be unable to access them if they experience a mental health disorder, Clark said. Some lawmakers have disagreed over whether schools should provide behavioral health services, which has delayed additional funding, Winick said. Brighton said she is grateful LISD has the resources to meet student’s needs but feels the response should go beyond the district. Education officials, mental health authorities and advocacy groups spoke with Community Impact about the need for a collaborative response between schools, cities, counties, care providers and law enforcement. “Mental health affects all of us,” Richardson said. “The more that we’re aware of what mental health is, the better chance students have of being successful in school, but also being successful members of the community.” LISD denied Community Impact’s request for interviews for this story. “Any meaningful learning cannot take place if there are unaddressed mental health concerns.” STEVE CLARK, LISD DIRECTOR OF COUNSELING SERVICES
LISD has increased funding for counseling services amid a projected $29.5 million budget shortfall for LISD and $7.5 million for LHISD in the 2024-25 fiscal year. Texas school districts do not receive funding specifically allocated for mental health services, LISD Chief Financial Officer Pete Pape said. LISD and LHISD cover those costs using the basic allotment of funding per student, which has remained at $6,160 since 2019. “We haven’t had a funding increase since 2019, and a lot of things changed,” Pape said. “Costs have gone up. Needs have gone up. One of those needs is more mental health services.” A funding increase could allow LISD to support more staff, Pape said. Texas Coalition for Healthy Minds, an association of around 43 organiza- tions, unsuccessfully advocated for the state to create an allotment for student mental health services in the 2023 legislative session.
Districts may use funds from the school safety allotment to cover behavioral health-re- lated expenses, but funding is often used for statewide safety mandates, said Seth Winick, director of TCHM. LISD is currently creating a multimillion-dollar police department to meet the requirements of House Bill 3, which requires districts to have an armed security guard at every campus. Since 2020, LISD and LHISD have used grant funding from the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief fund to cover some counselor positions. With funding expiring last school year, LISD has relied on LEEF to fill in funding gaps. Upon receiving a $129,000 grant from the Moody Foundation, LEEF raised another $51,000 to cover two therapists this school year, LEEF Executive Director Coleen Brighton said.•
District per-student spending on guidance counseling Both Leander and Liberty Hill ISDs have increased their spending per student on guidance counseling services over the past six years.
Liberty Hill ISD
Leander ISD
$567
$600
$405
$500
$547
$400
$300
$343
$200
0
2017-18
2018-19
2019-20 2020-21
2021-22
2022-23
SOURCE: TEXAS EDUCATION AGENCY/COMMUNITY IMPACT
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