Santa Rosa City Schools is cutting 75% of its campus therapists as pandemic-era funding disappears, leaving the district in a high-stakes search for new revenue.
According to the Press Democrat, to help close a $23 million budget deficit, the district is eliminating 10 of its 14 therapist positions. Officials are now racing to implement a new state program that allows schools to bill insurance for mental health services.
While the program has already generated $100,000, education leaders say it’s not a “cure-all.” They are urging parents to provide insurance consent to help sustain wellness centers, even as the district braces for hundreds of additional staff layoffs this spring.