Central SD 13J board directs superintendent to consider furlough days to help preserve school-based mental-health contract after public pleas

Hundreds of residents, students and staff urged the Central School District 13J board to preserve its school-based mental-health contract as the district confronts declining enrollment and budget pressure. After extended public comment and a superintendent budget update, the board voted unanimously to direct the superintendent to consider furlough days during collective-bargaining talks as one option to help keep the Polk County mental-health contract intact.

"My recommendation to the board is to fully fund all school-based mental-health positions," Dana Goodell, program manager for the Polk County school-based mental-health program, told the board. Parents, recent graduates and multiple students testified that school counselors and the district's wellness room provide immediate access that many families cannot get elsewhere. "They helped me power through," Payton Cup, a Central High School sophomore, said of the school counselors.

The superintendent had earlier presented budget options and a stress test for potential savings. Board discussion referenced two figures that guided deliberations: every half-percentage point of the district's contingency frees about $225,000, and staff estimated a single furlough day would free approximately $159,200. The motion approved by the board directs the superintendent to raise furlough days in negotiations with unions and to explore that option alongside other measures such as adjustments to contracted services, vacancy reviews and Medicaid/MAC claiming.

Board member Susan moved the directive; Melanie seconded. After questions about fairness, the number of days under consideration and the need to negotiate with both unions, the board voted six to zero to approve the motion. Board members who voted in favor included Susan, Melanie, Mark, Jan, Irene and Andrea.

Superintendent remarks and board members emphasized furloughs are a negotiated, temporary tool and not an automatic outcome. The board was told that any furlough proposal would need to be negotiated and that the district would submit a plan to comply with state instructional-day requirements if days are adjusted under the executive order that governs contact-day minimums.

Speakers at public comment described concrete program benefits the district provides through the Polk County partnership: crisis intervention, suicide screenings, family resource connections and school-based early intervention. Several staff and parents emphasized supervisory roles in threat assessments, sexual-incident responses and wraparound coordination that they said would be difficult to replace with a billing-only model. Parent Cali Burbank noted that school-based staff have connected families to food, clothing, housing assistance and other supports that are not always billable.

Next steps: the superintendent will discuss furlough-day options with bargaining teams at upcoming negotiations, continue leadership-level budget stress tests and return budget recommendations at the board's June 22 meeting, when the board plans to adopt a budget that must be filed with the state by June 30.