New Jersey Herald
LAFAYETTE — Lafayette school board members defended their plan to trim the hours of the district's school psychologist at a special meeting Tuesday, saying it has plans for new staff training that will make mental-health help even more accessible for students.
The board's suggestion is to implement professional development training for all staff members to help students struggling with mental health. Many teachers and parents, meanwhile, feel the board should use the funding to restore the recently demoted school psychologist to a full-time role.
The board voted unanimously Tuesday to approve $127,876 for the school from the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) fund, with $45,000 earmarked for mental health services. The grant is the second of three federal initiatives designated to help school districts recover from the impact of COVID-19 on students.