The School Committee unanimously approved a $132,367,509 budget at its meeting on Thursday, March 30.
The budget for the 2023-24 school year is about $14 million above the current school year’s budget, thanks in large part to the Student Opportunity Act. The budget includes 62.5 new positions, and in addition, 19 positions that were funded in the current year through ESSER Covid relief funding are being transitioned to the district’s operating budget.
Many of the new positions address needs for special education and English language learners.
During last week’s meeting, committee member Roberto Jimenez-Rivera asked several questions about the number of counselors and mental health professionals at the middle and high school level. During the public hearing process, there were several staff members and students who advocated for additional funding for mental health positions at the secondary level.
Superintendent of Schools Dr. Almi Abeyta said that in addition to the counselors at Chelsea High School, there are eight social workers that can assist with some services for students. She added that the district also recently added telehealth mental health services districtwide.
“We are a district that is well supported with mental health, and I believe what we will work on doing and what we have started doing is working to communicate to students how they can access the mental health services that we have,” said Abeyta. “We have a portfolio of mental health services with our counselors, our social workers, and our telehealth.”
Abeyta also addressed a request that was made for dean positions at the middle school level to assist with student discipline and behavioral issues.
“Last year, at the request of the principals, we added outreach workers instead of deans at each middle school to help with discipline,” said Abeyta. “So with the cadre of school counselors, social workers, and outreach workers, we do have staff to support student discipline and behavior.”
The superintendent also pointed out that the 2023-24 school budget was crafted to set the stage for the following school year, when a number of positions funded through Covid relief funds will have to transition to the general operating budget.
“Next year, we are going to have to fund 40 positions, and we are going to have to put those 40 positions that already exist with people in those positions into the Chapter 70 regular general fund,” she said. “We want to make sure we are in a position where we do not have to cut a lot of positions.”
Jimenez-Rivera praised the administration for the work it did in preparing the budget, and said one area that really stuck out to him was the additional funding for the La Vida Scholar program.
The La Vida Scholars program helps find full college scholarships for Chelsea students.
“I believe in the program wholeheartedly, and I want more students to have access to it,” said Abeyta.
School Committee Chair Kelly Garcia expressed her gratitude to the administration and the committee for its work on the budget.
“This budget reflects every single one of us that are in here, but most importantly, it includes students, teacher voices, and administrator voices,” said Garcia. “I just want to express my gratitude to this team who continues to show up day in and day out, listening to family, students, and staff.”