CV Guidance Policy Wins Initial Approval

The Central Valley School Board on Monday gave initial approval to a guidance policy that would require counselors to consult parents in almost all cases before recommending outside help for students.

The long-debated policy is slated for final approval Jan. 23.

Some parents had objected to the policy proposed in August because they feared they wouldn’t be told about their children’s non-school problems.

A community and staff committee then hashed out the policy for three months and established safeguards for parents, counselors and students.

Under the proposed policy, students may meet with counselors to talk about school-related issues and try to improve any problems.

Students may meet with counselors on non-school issues long enough to help the student understand the situation and how to bring the student and parent or guardian together.

If a student doesn’t want to talk about a non-school issue with parents, the counselor would first recommend that the student talk to significant relatives, family friends, a family minister, a physician or a therapist.

If a plan is needed regarding a non-school problem, the counselor and student would contact the parents. Situations that merit contacting the parents include academic problems, potential harm to the student and continuous inappropriate behavior.

Students, parents and counselors can contact outside agencies already on campus, such as community mental health. But for formal services, the agency must get written permission from a parent.

Counselors can only recommend the services of outside agencies to minor students with written parental permission, unless potentially life-threatening circumstances exist. If the parents refuse or can’t give any directions, the counselors then could offer students outside help if approved by the principal and school board member in the area.

At the meeting Monday, no parents commented about the policy, Central Valley Superintendent Dick Sovde said.

He said he was pleased with the cooperation of the people working on the policy’s committee.

“It’s been a very, very valuable process for the community and the board working together,” Sovde said.