Board discusses hiring three elementary counselors to replace contracted services; budget impact about $60,000

The Stow‑Munroe Falls City School District Board of Education discussed May 29 a proposal to convert three contracted elementary counseling positions into district hires so each elementary school would have its own full‑time counselor.

Proposal and rationale: District staff said the current model uses contracted counselors who are shared between schools; that arrangement can leave a building without a counselor when the provider is needed elsewhere. Bringing three positions in‑house would make a dedicated counselor available at each elementary school, increase counseling hours and permit the staff to provide the full scope of school counseling services, including indirect services that the contracted role could not perform.

Budget and staffing details: Staff estimated the change would add roughly $60,000 to the district’s budget, depending on salary step and experience; the district said exact numbers would vary if hires are entry level or more experienced. The current purchase‑service contracts expire at the end of the school year; staff said they would provide a detailed comparison showing cost differences and projected counseling hours before the board takes action.

Board direction: Trustees asked staff to return with concrete budget figures, step‑level cost options (entry to experienced) and a calculation of the increased counseling hours expected from in‑house hires. No vote was taken; the item was presented as a discussion item that staff will develop into a formal proposal for a future meeting.