The Churchill County School Board of Trustees held their regular meeting Wednesday evening. They heard a report from Superintendent Summer Stephens, and received reports from principals regarding their school performance plans as well as a report on the Rio Vista field and Future Farmers of America program. They also discussed hiring a transportation supervisor and received training on the Open Meeting Law.
Stephens reported that the district has partnered with Care Solace, a company that provides families, students, and staff with mental health resources. She said that in the past when mental health resources were needed it could often take six to eight weeks from the time a counselor reaches out until the student or family receives services. By using the Care Solace program, the time frame has been reduced to one to two weeks. The resource also saves counselors and staff countless hours in outreach that they used to spend tracking down insurance and providers.
“One of our new teachers at the middle school said her old school used it and it was great,” said Stephens.
The resource is available to the community and can be accessed through the district website at caresolace.com/site/churchillcsd.
The district is also making another resource available to district families, choosing to focus the first deployment of publicity at the middle school, called ParentGuidance.org, again available as a resource to anyone in the community. Built by the Cook Center, an organization created by the founders of DoTerra, the resources offer online video courses in parenting, mental health, self-care, and access to therapists. The district will be providing access to a monthly webinar for parents, as well, with the first being held on December 14.
“We are very fortunate, in the span of three years,” said Stephens, “we have gone from having two counselors at the high school, one at the middle school, none at Lahontan to a counselor at every school, increased at middle and high school, and four safe school professionals and I’m glad to see we’ve made that growth.”
The cost for the Care Solace program is $20,000 which covers two years and is paid through SB551 funding “from a long time ago that had to be used for specific purposes,” said Stephens. The Parent Guidance program is free for what the district is using currently.
Stephens announced the high school will be hosting the district’s CTE Roundtable on December 5 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Parents, business and industry partners, and community members are all invited to the Career and Technical Education event to explore the 19 different programs offered, provide input regarding wage and demand opportunities, and tour the current learning spaces.
“This is important as we work toward the board goal to increase the number of completers,” said Stephens.
Sharla Hales, the legal counsel, provided an overview of the Open Meeting Law specific to public comment. “The question has come up recently under a couple of different scenarios about what can the board say in response to public comment if anything,” she said. “It really is the people’s business when you meet here, and the Open Meeting Law says your actions on behalf of the people are to be taken openly.”
She said the intent of the public comment requirement is to provide the people the opportunity to be heard. “To learn about issues the public may have that you may not be aware of.” It can give a view of how people feel about specific agenda items and what the board may need to understand more fully and what should the board add to the work they are doing to make sure they are taking care of the public’s business.
Hales said the Open Meeting Law does provide the ability for board members to discuss public comments. “You are allowed to discuss; you are not allowed to deliberate.”
A more complete story on this agenda item will be published next week, along with the discussion involving the Rio Vista property and FFA.
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