Times Standard (Eureka)

Schools talk trauma of students and staff

- By Jocelyn Gibbons

Eureka City Schools received a $5 million grant in December from the U.S. Department of Education’s School-Based Mental Health Services Grant Program. This grant will fund an additional four social workers and at least four social work interns along with funding a Wellness Center and satellites at all nine sites over a 5-year time period.

ECS is one of 102 districts in the United States to win this award for Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) support.

“We hear our teachers,” said Lisa Claussen, Director of Student Services, at the Feb. 2 Eureka City schools board meeting.

She spoke about the district’s response to the mental health crises that has permeated throughout Humboldt County and into classrooms.

“Every school day, educators of our school district are experienci­ng some of their worst working days,” said Trisha Sanders, an ECS teacher.

Sanders continued to speak about learning loss, classroom evacuation­s, and high levels of emotional and physical distress experience­d by both teachers and students.

It was acknowledg­ed several times throughout the meeting that 95% of students have their learning impacted because of the violent 5%. “From TK-6th grade, we cannot expel a student,” explained Claussen, because “there is no place for them to go.”

“If we start losing good teachers, then we are going to be completely in a bad situation,” countered Mike Duncan, ECS School Board President. He asked ECS to create a program for elementary students with problemati­c behavior.

“There are so many components that flow into this that make it incredibly difficult to just say we can put in this program and it will fix everything.” explained Fred Van Vleck, who then urged teachers to use the systems the district already has in place to track disruptive student behavior.

“Behavior change takes time.” echoed Claussen, who expressed her hope that the additional SEL support staff from the $5 million grant will help alleviate the situation.

During the public comment portion of the meeting, current and former students, parents and community members expressed their concerns over the anticipate­d litigation against the Academy of the Redwoods.

“This is not in our kids’ best interests,” argued one mother of a current Academy of the Redwoods student.

Academy of the Redwoods is a good alternativ­e to traditiona­l high school, said a former student, who also worried that student learning will be impacted with a change in administra­tion.

The anticipate­d equity and inclusion report by Prismatic Services, the consultant firm hired by Eureka City Schools to conduct an audit following the November 2021 mural ban, could shine more light on how well Eureka City Schools is really doing to support all students.

Other ECS school board highlights

• Active assailant trainings were conducted by Homeland Security at EHS and the administra­tion building.

• Eureka High School’s FFA raised over $50,000 in fundraisin­g.

• Winzler Children’s Center received the National Associatio­n for the Education of Young Children standard of quality.

• There are still several open positions for bus drivers, training included, with a $12,000 incentive program.

• Grant Elementary is hosting a parent education night, Healthy Minds 101, on March 8, from 5:30-7 p.m.

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