REYNOLDSBURG, Ohio (WCMH) — Some school districts in Ohio are facing budget challenges and oftentimes, school social workers are among the first positions to be cut.
That’s the case with Reynoldsburg City Schools. The district is cutting more than $8 million after its levy failed in November.
A district spokesperson said Reynoldsburg has a total of 10 social workers right now, with two open positions. Because of the budgets, those two open positions will be eliminated and three more social workers will be cut after this school year, leaving Reynoldsburg with seven school social workers.
Teri Kinsway, the program coordinator for the College of Social Work at Ohio State-Marion, said districts across the nation are cutting school social workers.
“Some students will fall through the cracks, honestly, and student needs, family needs will go unmet,” said Kinsway.
She said social workers are responsible for suicide risk assessments, addressing behavioral concerns and connecting students and their families with resources. Kinsway said Reynoldsburg cutting nearly half of their school social worker positions is worrisome.
“If any district is losing half of their school social workers they will see increased student needs falling upon other people in the district who are already busy and stretched far,” Kinsway said.
For Columbus-area school social worker, Leah Alexander-Leeks, her daily life includes helping kids deal with mental health crises, behavior management, attendance issues and more.
“A lot of what we do is help to address basic needs and if those basic needs aren’t met, like food, clothing and shelter, then there’s really no way for a child to be successful at school,” Alexander-Leeks said.
With less social workers in a district, Alexander-Leeks said more students will struggle academically, miss school and act out in class. She wants parents to know that every child at school could be negatively impacted, even the ones who don’t need extra help.
“Those children who we are helping to support them with things like mental health crises and behavioral management, their children are in classes with those kids and if they’re not able to manage and regulate themselves, their children are being affected even if it doesn’t seem like it,” she said.
Seeing school social workers cut in central Ohio and across the country worries Alexander-Leeks for the future.
“I think it is really a scary time for us as school social workers to be concerned about the possibilities of losing jobs and even more so than us, the effect that that could have on students and the families that we work with.”
A Reynoldsburg district spokesperson sent a statement to NBC4 saying in part, “While the changes are not ideal, we will continue to provide the necessary support and resources to our students and families.”
They said the well-being of students is the top priority for the district. To learn more about school social work in the state of Ohio, check out the Ohio State Social Workers Association.
