As the Los Angeles teachers strike continued Tuesday, the L.A. County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved $10 million in funding for the Los Angeles Unified School District to pay for more mental health counselors in schools.
As part of its contract demands, the teachers union has called for smaller class sizes as well as more nurses, counselors and librarians in schools.
“There’s no denying the fact that time is of the essence,” he said. “It would be less than straightforward if we didn’t acknowledge the context in which this motion comes forward.”
Ridley-Thomas said he hopes the funding is a piece of the intricate puzzle that will move the teachers union and the district closer together in contract talks.
“We’re doing what we can do to be helpful,” he said.
L.A. Unified Superintendent Austin Beutner said Friday the district was relying on this additional $10 million in funding from the county as well as funding from the state to finance its latest offer to the teachers union, United Teachers Los Angeles, which increased the district’s proposed investment to hire teachers and support staff in schools from $100 million to $130 million.
Beutner said the additional money will be spent on mental health counselors in elementary schools.
The $10 million would close the funding gap to ensure a full-time nurse or mental health clinician on every elementary school campus in LAUSD.
“It will significantly aid the Los Angeles Unified School District,” he said.
The supervisors also directed the heads of the Department of Health Services and Department of Public Health to identify funds to pay for additional nurses in schools.
Solis and Supervisor Janice Hahn were with teachers at picket lines yesterday at schools in their respective districts. They said they were speaking with educators about the need for more counselors in schools.
“It’s disheartening to know that at this time it is a crisis,” Solis said.
Hahn and Supervisor Kathryn Barger authored an amendment, which was approved, to ask county staff to create a countywide plan regarding school-based mental health services throughout the 81 school districts in the county. They said a shortage of mental health counselors was not confined to LAUSD.
Supervisors noted that in the past the county and the school district often considered themselves as separate entities and this collaboration likely would not have occurred. They also said adding mental health counselors in schools coincided with their goals.
Supervisor Sheila Kuehl said that discussions for this funding had been in the works for about a year and that it was unrelated to the strike.
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