MIDLAND, TX (KWES) - Members Midland ISD's School Health Advisory Council or SHAC gave the school board a year-end report about how the students in the district were physically and mentally. What the group found out was that the district is need of both crisis counselors and nurses.
Degen Fricker, the chairman of SHAC believed with only three crisis counselors on tap for next year it isn't enough to give the students the care they may need.
"Three counselors for 37 campuses is a real challenge," said Fricker.
The committee made up of members of MISD, community members and parents with kids in the district believe some of the issues kids have are from families that from place to place.
"Every time you place somebody in a new environment there's emotional disturbances," said Fricker.
The internet also didn't help.
"When you are new to social media in the 4th, 5th, and 6th grade you get that phone things come into your realm that you're not prepared and don't know how to deal with it. It starts planting seeds that usually are negative," said Fricker.
Going hand in hand with the need for more counselors is the need for school nurses. Fricker says the district dealt with 1000 cases of students dealt with either the flu/pneumonia.
"We have so many children now that don't have insurance so the parents aren't taking them to the doctors so they are relying on the school nurses to take care of them," said Fricker.
The committee would like to add one more counselor and a handful of nurses throughout the district. Recommendations they hope the district could meet for the students.
