Protect Critical Behavioral Support Services in the Mount Laurel School District

Every child deserves access to the support they need to succeed safely and meaningfully in school. Families in the Mount Laurel School District are deeply concerned by the district’s recent and abrupt decision to eliminate the outside agency that currently provides Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBAs), behavior consultants, and highly trained Registered Behavior Technician (RBT) aides.

This decision threatens the quality, consistency, and safety of behavioral support services for some of the district’s most vulnerable students, while leaving parents with little transparency about how these services will be replaced. This decision not only impacts those who directly use the services, but the entire school community. 

Why This Matters

Students with behavioral, emotional, developmental, and communication needs rely on trained professionals who specialize in behavior analysis and intervention. These supports are not optional. They are often critical to a child’s ability to safely access education, regulate emotions, communicate needs, and remain in their least restrictive environment.

The district’s plan raises serious concerns:

Impact on Entire Classrooms and School Communities

Removing BCBA, behavior consultant, and RBT roles will have ripple effects far beyond the students directly receiving services. These professionals help maintain safe, stable, and productive learning environments for entire classrooms and school communities.

Without dedicated behavioral support staff, this decision will likely lead to:

• Increased classroom disruptions
• More missed instructional time for all students
• Greater strain on teachers and support staff
• Increased burnout among educators
• Additional demands on school administrators and crisis teams
• More frequent behavioral escalations without specialized intervention support

Even the most skilled educators benefit from having trained behavioral specialists available to support students with intensive needs. Teachers should be able to focus on teaching, instruction, and maintaining productive classrooms. They should not be expected to take on the responsibilities of a full behavioral support team without the proper training, staffing, and time.

BCBAs, behavior consultants, and highly trained RBT aides provide expertise that complements the work of teachers and school psychologists. Eliminating these specialized roles risks negatively affecting not only students with behavioral needs, but also their classmates, educators, and the overall learning environment throughout the Mount Laurel School District.

Lack of Transparency

Parents were not meaningfully included in discussions before this decision was made. Families deserve clear communication regarding:

• Why these services are being eliminated
• What evidence supports this decision
• How student needs will continue to be met
• Who will provide these services moving forward
• How staffing shortages and training gaps will be addressed

Families should not be left learning about major changes to behavioral services after decisions have already been finalized.

Severe Staffing Challenges Already Exist
Schools across New Jersey, and nationwide, are already struggling to recruit and retain aides. Finding classroom aides is difficult enough. Finding highly trained aides capable of safely and effectively managing intense behaviors is even harder.

RBTs and experienced behavioral staff receive specialized training in:

• Crisis prevention and de-escalation
• Behavior intervention plans
• Data collection and analysis
• Communication supports
• Safety procedures
• Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) strategies
• Replacing these trained professionals with undertrained or inconsistent staffing places students, staff, and classrooms at risk.

Classroom Teachers Are Already Overextended

Behavior consultants and BCBAs perform full-time specialized roles that require extensive training, oversight, assessment, and ongoing data analysis. Shifting these responsibilities onto already overworked classroom teachers is unrealistic and unsustainable.

Teachers are educators, not replacements for full behavioral teams.

School Psychologists Cannot Absorb an Entire Behavioral Department
School psychologists play an essential role in student support, but they already carry extensive responsibilities involving evaluations, counseling, crisis response, meetings, and compliance requirements.

Expecting school psychologists to absorb the workload of dedicated behavioral consultants without additional staffing or infrastructure is not a sustainable solution and risks reducing the quality of services for all students. Not to mention that they do not have the same  type of training, and that would be an additional cost to the district. 

What We Are Asking
We call on the Mount Laurel School District Board of Education and district administration to:

• Pause the elimination of the current behavioral support agency
• Provide full transparency to families regarding this decision
• Hold public discussions with meaningful parent input
• Present a detailed staffing and transition plan
• Ensure students continue receiving support from qualified behavioral professionals
• Protect access to trained BCBAs, behavior consultants, and experienced RBT aides
• Avoid placing unrealistic behavioral responsibilities onto teachers and existing school staff without proper support

Our children deserve safe, evidence-based behavioral support delivered by qualified professionals. Families, educators, and students must be included in decisions that directly impact student safety, learning, and success.

Sign this petition to demand transparency, accountability, and continued access to certified behavioral support services in Mount Laurel schools.