☆ CUHSD outlook: Mental health initiatives need further funding
David Sabes ran for Campbell Union High School District board in Area 2 this past election cycle (receiving 19.7% of total votes). In this Opp Now exclusive, Sabes reflects on the hinge point of well-financed mental health positions, resources, and programs — necessary for an inclusive, supportive CUHSD community.
What’s your one big wish for the Campbell Union High School District for 2023?
As a former candidate of the CUHSD Board of Trustees, I focused on one thing: the mental health crisis that is being experienced by high school students across the country. I am hoping that this call to action is shared by the CUHSD board and that they have taken urgent steps to treat the mental health crisis in our post-Covid world. The problem on campuses is so bad across the country: Teachers are going on strike because of the lack of care, cities are lobbying the states for emergency funds, and in some states, large grants have been given.
In the recent past, the school board has acknowledged the problem and allocated funds they believe will be enough to address the issue. However, the majority of the mental health/counselor positions that have been written into the district budget have not been filled for over a year.
The reason why they have been unable to fill these positions is because the district refuses to increase the amount of money to compete with the local labor market. The school district has almost twice the amount of money in reserve in the budget for “emergencies” than is required by the State of California. The money is there to treat the mental health crisis on campus as the “emergency” it truly has become. Unfortunately, the previous board was more worried about a potential emergency with the physical buildings, rather than the students. (An excuse regarding the potential high cost of a new roof was mentioned at one of the forums.)
Our students should be treated with the care that they deserve so that they may all be safe and succeed in their goals. I am hoping that people who can make decisions and allocate funds act immediately and with urgency to address the issue.
And what’s your biggest apprehension?
My concern is that the district will not focus on the immediate need to hire more mental health workers, and to address the situation as the burning crisis for our students. There are a multitude of programs being proposed to deal with issues on campus and between students, which I believe are highly important. It is clear that we need to support our minority students, our economically disadvantaged students, our students who are not native English speakers, our students with special needs and accommodations, our students in the LGBT community, and our students who hope for advanced academic courses to succeed in their goals. (This is not an entirely inclusive list; forgive me if I have left any group out.)
However, if the board prioritizes these programs and divides the students into groups of need before they have the foundation to address the mental health crisis, then the programs to support these groups will be incomplete. A student who is suffering mental health issues needs direct support first. Resources must be available to help them. For each of these programs where students feel disenfranchised, unsafe on campus, discriminated against, bullied, there must be professional mental health support congruently.
Far too often, I hear other parents say that “High School is hard; that’s just how it is and was for me.” But what isn't acknowledged is the intense changes and pressures that are present in the minds of our high school students today. I am truly hoping that the community and parents recognize this and change the status quo on what schools need to support our students’ education and their lives.
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Image by Saul Albert