this fall, this year’s budget cycle is intentionally trying to maintain all the additional counselors, social workers, and psychologists that we added with those federal ESSER dollars so that we don’t lose a beat in terms of the support staff that we have for students.” THE ACADEMIES AT ROMEO In 2017 Romeo Community Schools became the first officially designated Ford Next Generation Learning (NGL) community in Michigan, an organization troubles they’re dealing with, there is someone they can go to, to share that information with,” stresses Robinson. “Naturally, that could be our teachers or our counselors, but we also think our bus drivers, our paraprofessionals, and our security staff are adults that can connect with kids too.” Federal funding provided during the pandemic brought an opportunity for the district to bring additional professionally certified mental health staff on board. Robinson notes,“With those funds expiring 356 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 05, ISSUE 08
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