Friday, August 25, 2023

Dear FLOW community:

As Board President I wanted to address you in response to the growing public concern I see regarding recent developments involving the District’s mental health services for its students. I have heard your remarks and can appreciate the passion you have for our students, because I share it with you. And, because I do, I feel compelled to make the following remarks. Starting with this – and please let me be clear – the mental health of the students in the Ramapo Indian Hills Regional High School District is, has been, and so long as I am on this Board always will remain, a paramount priority of this Board of Education. As its President and a member of the Board, I am proud of the entire Board and our administration alike in the many efforts we have undertaken to ensure the mental health and wellness of our students. The FLOW community should likewise be proud.

By my estimate, the Board voted this year to approve approximately $3,600,000 in salaries for counselors and aides along with teachers and staff related to special education and student well being and mental health just this year. The Board also approved multiple vendors for behavior-related services, ABA training, therapy, psychological services and evaluations, educational evaluations, LDT-C evaluations, and other specialists for students who are struggling. At the Board’s June 29 meeting, the Board voted to approve 17 of these types of vendors.

This merely is a representative list and is no way an exhaustive recitation of the myriad initiatives, resources, and programs this Board has supported, voted for, and embraced in the District’s implementation of in its ongoing programs for our students’ mental health and well-being. To the extent the public may have any concerns about the support for student mental health, I wanted to share this information in an effort to allay them. Rest assured, along with my fellow Board members I will continue to prioritize the mental health and wellbeing of this District’s students.

Our administration tells us the district has considerable resources for mental health that range from nurses, school psychologists, guidance counselors, aides, learning specialists, full time teachers of special education students, general education teachers, and administration and staff who are trained in mental health. We have lead administrators in both buildings for special education and on a district level. We also have one student assistance counselor in each school who is trained in supporting our students' mental health.