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Issue Raised At Joint County Meeting
The ongoing need for counseling at county schools was one of the issues discussed at the joint meeting of the Rockbridge County School Board and the Rockbridge Board of Supervisors last week.
“The need is still there,” Rockbridge County Schools Superintendent Phillip Thompson told the supervisors, though he acknowledged that progress has been made. “We recognize there’s a problem, and we hope to do this in-house, but this year is better than the last several.”
Keeping up with the need for mental health resources has been a challenge in recent years, particularly since the pandemic, according to Thompson.
“Even before the pandemic, but especially following, we’ve seen increases in men- tal health concerns for our students,” he told the News-Gazette.
While the school has staff, such as school counselors and school psychologists, in place for students, the limited number of candidates has made expansion difficult.
“Much like many other areas of the medical field, it can be extremely difficult to find qualified professionals to fill all of the available job openings,” Thompson said.
“Unfortunately, when those job openings are not filled, our students and our families suffer.”
However, the division was able to bring in two new alternative education teachers this year, as well as a board-certified behavioral analyst.
“For a division the size of ours to have these qualifications is really impressive,” Assistant Superintendent Timothy Martino told the supervisors. “We’re better equipped to help the kids we do need to help.”
Martino believes that actionable steps have not yet caught up to increased awareness around these issues.
Money is another issue, particularly the state’s delay in passing an amended budget this year, which is affecting funding for schools.
“Kids who need services need help,” said Thompson at the meeting. “I hate the idea of having to go backwards because the money just isn’t available from the state.”
However, Rockbridge County Public Schools has been able to work with other local organizations to help meet their needs.
“We are also fortunate to have close partnerships with Rockbridge Area Community Services who help us with different counseling opportunities for our students depending upon the need,” Thompson told The News-Gazette.
Looking forward, Thompson hopes to see a system that brings school and community resources together to make them available for students.
“While we are making progress,” he said, “in the future, I would like to see a seamless network of mental health professionals inside of our schools and in the community who can be called up for assistance.”
