CV Board Approves Counseling Agreement

Thu., June 29, 2000

By Stacy Schwandt stacys@spokesman.com

Central Valley’s school board unanimously approved an agreement on Monday to provide additional counseling services for the district’s elementary school students and their families.

The agreement with Deaconess Medical Center sparked controversy over the past three months because members of a local group believe it doesn’t adequately address the district’s needs.

“I really welcome this (agreement),” said board member Cynthia McMullen. “There’s not just one answer to address a problem.”

Under the agreement, Deaconess will hire three to five licensed therapists to counsel students and lead support groups. The therapists will work 3-1/2 hours during the school day and 3-1/2 hours after school.

The district will pay a total of $25,000 for all the counseling services. Deaconess has a similar program in place in the East Valley School District. The hospital approached Central Valley earlier this year when they were ready to expand.

The partnership was challenged by Spokane’s Stand for Children, a new chapter of the national organization that advocates for children. The local group’s first campaign is a call for full-time counselors in all Central Valley elementary schools. Stand for Children members argue that the Deaconess plan won’t be able to fill all of the current gaps in elementary counseling services. Currently 10 out of 14 Central Valley elementary schools have part-time counselors.

All the East and West Valley elementary schools have full-time counselors.

One Stand for Children volunteer described the problem this way at Monday’s meeting: “We have asked for apples and frankly this proposal gives us an orange.”

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