Laconia schools win $5.9 million grant for mental health resources for students, staff

LACONIA — The Laconia School Board accepted a federal grant of about $5.9 million through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration at its meeting Tuesday night. The grant is aimed at improving school-based mental health systems and increasing ties between schools and community mental health organizations. The city, alongside Manchester, was among just 21 school districts nationwide awarded this grant.

“We have some kids who are struggling with mental health issues and this grant provides for services, it provides for staff, including social workers,” said Superintendent Steve Tucker. “This grant allows us to support some of those important positions and services.”

“It really is an honor that we were awarded this and it provides such an incredible opportunity for us to be able to support our students,” Board Chair Jennifer Anderson said in an interview.

A brief included in the school board’s packet of materials for the meeting outlines what the grant will go toward during its span of the next five years. As part of the school’s Multi-Tiered System of Support for Behavioral Health and Wellness, the district will use the grant to hire licensed mental health clinicians and a coach, as well as fund positions for a licensed drug and alcohol counselor, restorative justice coaches and student outreach coordinators. It will also fund mental health training and awareness programs for students, staff and families, the formation of an advisory board and a needs assessment, the implementation of a district-wide social-emotional curriculum, and increased overall education and awareness through partnerships with community organizations and wellness fairs.

Taking up approval of the grant, the school board was largely enthusiastic. 

When the board’s strategic planning committee took input from the public — including teachers, students, parents and residents — as part of its SWOT analysis last fall, a need for increased mental health services in school was voiced as an overwhelming need, Ward 1 member Jennifer Ulrich, who chairs that committee, emphasized.

“There is a growing concern of students being more apathetic, uninvolved, not leaning into their education and their academics simply because they are dealing with depression, anxiety, loneliness,” Ulrich said. “I'm really happy one of our strategic planning goal areas is student and staff wellness, and this aligns really well with that.”

Ward 4 member Dawn Johnson was the only board member who spoke against the grant. Johnson voiced concern that supports funded by the grant distance parents from decisions about student wellbeing and, most strongly, stated she felt district effort and attention were better served on direct improvements to school academics.

“The fact that we are more worried about a small percentage of kids who need help — I'm not saying that those kids don't need help, absolutely not, I'm never saying that — but the majority of our kids do not fall into this category,” Johnson said. “The $5 million grant is not going to help our kids read and write.” Further comments by Johnson that “this grant is not needed” were echoed in both formal and muttered comments by members of the public.

Anderson emphasized accepting this federal grant does not impede or reduce district efforts to improve student academic performance. Rather, mental health gains are tied to academic gains.

“This is not ‘instead of’ but ‘in addition to,’” Anderson said. “There is a symbiotic relationship between behavioral, emotional, social supports and academics. And as one thing fails, other things are weakened, and that goes in both ways.”

Speaking with The Daily Sun, Anderson noted the district has implemented new initiatives, such as adding literacy coaches for faculty, aimed at improving academic outcomes. In addition, the money from grants must go toward the proposed purpose; this grant could not be redirected toward another program.

The grant also will bolster staff wellness by supporting health, fitness, and mindfulness classes, self-regulation and stress reduction workshops, restorative practices, Nonviolent Crisis Prevention Institute's de-escalation training and ALICE strategies. 

The Project Advancing Wellness and Resiliency in Education, or AWARE, grant totals $5,887,326, available for the next five years; first year spending is set for $960,781 with following years ranging from $1.185 million to $1.283 million.

The school board on Tuesday also reviewed the superintendent's 2022 evaluation in a non-public session. The board is set to reconvene at noon on Friday, Aug. 25, to perform Tucker's evaluation for this year, in a non-public session.