Olathe district cuts in-school therapy staff. Critics fear for 1,000 students
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- Olathe Schools will eliminate six licensed mental health positions next year.
- Access to some free in-school therapy and coordinated referrals are reduced.
- District says state grant cuts and underfunded special ed budgets drove layoffs.
Therapy and other mental health services for students who otherwise wouldn’t have access to them will be eliminated from Olathe Public Schools next year as the district makes cuts in the face of budget shortfalls.
Six employees called “mental health professionals” were taken by surprise last month when they were notified that their department — which served almost 1,000 students this year — is being cut among other district-wide reductions to make up for gaps in funding.
The staff who made up their team are licensed to do individual and group therapy, crisis response and connect high-needs students to services outside the district.
Services the team provided were free. Team members said the program’s core mission was to remove barriers like finances, transportation and parents’ ability to take children to appointments by meeting needs in the school setting.
Former and current district employees said they fear how the change will impact students while mental health needs are high, and as providers are stretched thin inside and outside the district.
Now working as a therapist and in community mental health outside of the district, Molly Askew previously worked on the same team that’s being eliminated next year. She said her role was cut by Olathe Schools four years ago.
“They are pretty much the mental health, ‘wear all hats’ kind of role, so whatever the need is, that is what they do,” Askew said in a phone call this week.
“Generally speaking, what’s being lost here is access to those therapeutic interventions at school, on site … and accessing those without the barriers some face,” Askew said.
School therapists eliminated
The program got its start in the district in the 2019-20 school year, when a team of licensed mental health workers began providing individual and group therapy at Olathe high schools.
After seeing some success, the program expanded with more positions added to elementary schools. Then, a budget crisis a few years ago led to around half the team being laid off, one employee told The Star.
This year, six staffers each covered multiple schools across elementary, middle and high school levels to provide therapy and referrals to Johnson County Mental Health. Signed parental consent was required before they could see students.
The program was designed to provide short-term support — around six to eight therapy sessions — though it evolved after some students were seen over multiple years.
One employee who spoke to The Star on the condition of anonymity said children who may have otherwise felt uncomfortable going to therapy would open up to services at school — a more familiar, comfortable place.
“Having worked firsthand with these students … and hearing about all of their life experiences and everything that they’re going through, the support that they need hasn’t (decreased) … the things that they’re facing haven’t decreased,” the employee said. “If anything, they’re increasing, and so the support for them to be decreasing is difficult.”
The employee is seeking employment elsewhere in the district and wished to keep their identity anonymous for fear of retaliation.
According to a spokesperson for the school district, the mental health professionals’ jobs were substantially funded through a state mental health grant.
The most recent budget bill passed by the Kansas Legislature removed $6 million in funding from next year’s statewide mental health grant.
That gap, among other budget constraints due to underfunded special education programs, led district leaders to eliminate the six licensed therapist positions, a spokesperson said.
“Given the continued underfunding for special education and our district’s financial challenges due to declining enrollment, it was no longer sustainable long-term for the district to continue participating in this program,” said Erin Schulte, an Olathe Schools spokesperson.
What this means for students
The team’s roles are fully integrated into the school ecosystem, Askew said. They communicated with teachers, counselors and administrators, participated in student improvement and IEP meetings, and broader care discussions.
In addition, each Monday, the team met with Johnson County Mental Health to provide updates on high-need students.
The employee who wished to remain anonymous said the program was designed to help meet wellness needs so that teachers could focus on instruction.
After it’s eliminated, students stand to lose free, in-school therapy and a streamlined connection to county services, the employee argued.
While a number of mental health resources will remain available to Olathe students, the employee said their team was able to do more than the typical contract clinician.
“We are part of, like, a whole care team in the school, whereas contract clinicians are just able to go see those students and then leave,” the employee said.
“I’ve always had a heart for helping students who are struggling,” the employee said. “That’s really what this was.”
Throughout her time working at Olathe Schools, Askew said she saw students who were experiencing anxiety, depression, suicidal ideation, trauma, loss of family members and other challenges.
Now, she said she worries how that burden will shift onto other staff who are already stretched thin, like teachers, social workers, nurses, administrators and counseling staff.
“I do not envy those at the decision‑making table,” Askew said. “I know that they have very, very hard jobs … I don’t think that this is a forever thing.”
“I think, you know, the pendulum swings … I know they prioritize mental health, and they will do the best they can to make the best decisions for everybody,” Askew said.
District retains other mental health resources
Even as positions are being cut, mental health support is still a priority for the district, Schulte said.
Schulte said the district’s HR team is working with the employees whose jobs were cut to apply for other positions in the district.
It’s unclear if the employees were offered severance pay or other transitional support beyond applying for internal roles.
“The professionals will conclude services with their current student clients at the end of this school year, as they typically would,” Schulte said. “At that time, they will provide recommendations for continued mental health support for each student, as needed.”
Olathe Schools will still have its school-based counselors, in addition to psychologists, social workers and other services available to all students in the district.
A mental health co-responder will continue to assist students in crisis alongside the district’s safety and security teams, Schulte said.
A contract therapist program is offered and funded through the Olathe Public Schools Foundation. Last weekend, a fundraising event raised $410,000 to maintain the contract therapist program.
The district also has a year-round Help Clinic that offers free individual student and family counseling and small group student counseling.
The clinic is staffed by professional school counselors, psychologists, social workers, and other school-based mental health providers who are Olathe Public Schools employees, or retired employees with active licenses in school mental health.
“While this was a very difficult decision, we remain committed to supporting student mental health and we will work with staff and community partners to connect students and families to available resources,” Schulte said.
