Thursday, May 22, 2025
As the district prepares for the 2025–26 school year, officials have outlined potential initiatives aimed to support students’ mental, emotional and physical well-being.
Among these efforts is a proposed $1.5 million allocation for psychological services, marking an increase of nearly $46,000 from this year’s budget.
The approach, discussed at the April 8 board of education meeting, revolves around two key pillars: prevention and intervention. Prevention focuses on promoting student wellness through extracurricular and support programs while creating positive school environments. Intervention provides support when serious challenges arise, using both in-school staff and referrals to outside mental health professionals.
“Something we’re proud of here is that we have long had a focus on the whole child, making sure that we focus on children who grow in health and mind and body,” Superintendent Jennifer Gallagher said. “And so it kind of goes along with that, that we really have a focus on wellness and maybe articulate wellness in a more concrete way than we have in past years.”
A proposed wellness center at the high school is central to this vision. Currently in the planning stages, it is hoped to be a calming space where students can relax, access wellness resources and engage in mindfulness or self-regulation activities such as breathing exercises. The center will also serve as a hub for district wide wellness efforts, including workshops with mental health professionals and community events that foster open conversations about mental health. Additionally, the idea of using natural spaces for student reflection is being explored.
“We envision programs like a wellness walk around the pond, be a beautiful pathway around the pond,” Gallagher said. “We could easily put some signage there and make it more of a meditative space.
“We’d like to bring in our outside partners to have them do workshops on specific areas, intervention areas, education areas—you know, students and parents even might be interested in we see those things happening after school as well,” she continued. “And finally, we want to connect to our in-school support, our intervention partners, and also to our outside support in a more seamless process.”
The district also plans to pilot a mental health app called Counselor for students in grades six through twelve. The tool allows students to connect with licensed counselors, offering a private and easily accessible way to begin seeking help. It is designed to integrate with existing in-school services and requires parental permission before use.
“It doesn’t matter what you’re seeking it for to talk about your feelings over anything, specifically, even anxiety, depression, if you have a diagnosis,” school board Vice President Alexis Pace said. “I can say slowly, students are speaking more, they’re asking for help, and it is more than I’ve ever seen before.”
App developers report that 88 percent of students using the service nationwide have never accessed mental health support before, according to Gallagher. The goal is to meet students where they are, addressing barriers like cost, travel distance and stigma. These issues are especially challenging for families, many of whom struggle to find providers who accept their insurance or have available appointments.
While the wellness center and app target secondary students, a rise in mental health concerns among elementary-aged children was noted. In response, the school board plans on collaborating with the PTA to make it easier for families to find and navigate external resources, and they’re exploring ways to streamline access to mental health care across the district.
To support all of this work, the district is proposing the addition of a district wide psychologist who can respond flexibly to areas of high need. Coupled with ongoing partnerships with outside organizations like Northwell Health and Long Beach Reach, the aim is to ensure no student falls through the cracks due to lack of access or long waitlists.
