WORTHINGTON — School District 518 is stepping up mental health care available to students, the School Board of School District 518 learned Monday.
“What we’ve noticed, or what I hear a lot, is that many students have anxiety,” said superintendent John Landgard.
Last year, the district agreed with a mental health professional to spend approximately 12 hours a week at Worthington High School and 5 hours between the learning center and Worthington Middle School. This year, we plan to increase those hours to approximately 23 hours per week.
In the future, Landgaard also hopes to do another professional job one day a week at the Learning Center.
“The way this works is that these individuals meet with students two, three, four times. “Therefore, we will pay for the first few visits with an appointment, at which point we will switch to private insurance if the student has a long-term need.”
Initially, high school counselors, social workers, and school psychologists shared concerns about student mental health prevalent across the country after the COVID-19 pandemic and suggestions to bring in outside experts to supplement existing mental health. came to Landgaard with team.
The cost of additional mental health assistance will be covered by the school’s federal elementary and secondary school emergency aid funds, Lundgaard said.
The committee also asked school administrators to consider placing crossing guards near the Intermediate School and Learning Center on Crailsheim Road, and again voiced its displeasure to the Minnesota Department of Transportation.
“I think we should at least look at the possibility of putting[crossing guards]there,” said Brad Shaffer, a member of the school board, who said the roads near the secondary school were “armageddon.” “Corner Up Middle School” refers to the intersection with Oxford Street in Crailsheim.
In response to city and county concerns about student safety along the Crailsheim Road corridor, MnDOT conducted a traffic survey earlier this summer before the start of the school year.
The study found that the speed limit on Crailsheim Road should be changed to 45 mph instead of 40 mph from Oxford Street to 1,200 feet south of College Way and then 55 mph to Minnesota 60. . and the noble county commission decided it was inadequate.
Both governing bodies have drafted resolutions demanding that MnDOT take another look at the corridor. This time it’s school day.
District 518 is working on a similar resolution to submit to the school board for approval at its next meeting on Sept. 20 at 6:15 p.m., Landgaard said.
The committee also asked administrators to investigate the rules governing the Crailsheim Corridor, particularly regarding school zones and whether they can be used to slow down near schools when students are present.
In other news on Monday, the commission said:
- I heard that a donor is considering donating to a school for the heritage wall of Trojan Fields. On this wall, other donors may be recognized through the purchase of bricks and paving stones, and money from donations may be used for extracurricular activities.
- Learned District 518 is working to resume its online program following the abrupt suspension of its VIBE program this summer.
- I have received the latest information about admissions. This is 722 students in Prairie Elementary Schools, 663 in Middle Schools, 671 in WMS, 1,165 in WHS and 125 in Learning Centres, a slight increase from last year. With a capacity of 1,000 students, Landgaard says WHS is “a little crowded at the moment.”
- Discussed the future accreditation process for District 518.
