Mt. Diablo Approves Nearly $1 Million to Cover Mental Health Costs (CA)

January 13, 2011

Although Gov. Jerry Brown’s budget spares K-12 education from immediate cuts, it does not give districts the money they need to replace mental health funding vetoed by former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger through June.

To make up for costs that were previously paid by Contra Costa County for seriously emotionally disturbed students in residential programs, the Mt. Diablo school board on Tuesday agreed to spend nearly $1 million on nonpublic school contracts.

"The more I delve into some of these expenditures," trustee Cheryl Hansen said, "the more startling they are."

The contracts include more than $447,000 for mental health services and nearly $500,000 for room and board, which previously were paid to the county by the state through Assembly bill 3632 funds.

Schwarzenegger vetoed the funding this year, prompting the county to stop paying for the contracts effective Dec. 31.

Hansen urged the district’s special education staff to reassess the need for the contracts when they expire in June. However, the state plans to start paying for these costs again in 2011-12, according to the budget proposed by Brown, said Chief Financial Officer Brian Richards.

"But we don’t know what’s going to happen this year," he added.

Trustees unanimously passed a resolution calling on Brown and the Legislature to reinstate the mental health funding this year, which they expect to cost about $2.4 million.

"Our state cannot wait for more students to face hardship before taking decisive action," trustee Linda Mayo said.

Districts throughout the state are scrambling to pay similar costs. Ron Bennett, president of School Services of California, Inc., which advises districts on funding issues, said Wednesday that at least two lawsuits have been filed regarding Schwarzenegger’s veto, because he took away the funding but did not have the authority to eliminate the mandate to provide the services.

"The question is, who’s responsible and who’s holding the bag?" Bennet asked. "And right now, Mt. Diablo and many other districts are holding the bag."

During Tuesday’s meeting, the board also agreed to reassign several special education assistants who previously worked with autistic students to other sites because of student and staff safety issues, especially at Sun Terrace and Monte Gardens elementary schools and Clayton Valley High School in Concord and at College Park High in Pleasant Hill.

A staff report said that 18 new students required special education services, but noted that 25 students or classes would receive extra help. It said that Sun Terrace was experiencing "severe safety issues," such as "staff and students being hurt." In four instances, a "litigious parent" also was noted.