Petition to retain Paula Salazar-Sartin, Flowery Elementary School Counselor, and Expand Counseling Services at all Sonoma Valley Unified School District Elementary Schools

We, the undersigned members of the Sonoma Valley Unified School District community, hereby petition the Board and Superintendent to take immediate action regarding the provision of counseling services in our district elementary schools.

Objective 1: Retain Paula Salazar-Sartin at Flowery Elementary School

We urge the Sonoma Valley Unified School District Board and Superintendent to retain Paula Salazar-Sartin, Flowery Elementary School Counselor. Her position was approved to be reduced as part of Resolution No. 2023-24-17 at the February 8, 2024 SVUSD Regular Board Meeting. 

Paula has been an indispensable asset to our school community for 15 years, providing invaluable support to our students and staff. Flowery Elementary has a student population of about 350 students, and has seen a significant increase in the need for counseling services over the years. Paula has had over 70 referrals for counseling services for the ’23-24 school year alone, which has increased each year since the COVID outbreak. She supports nearly one-fifth of the Flowery student body. Paula also case manages 16 SSTs and 504s. Her role supports and takes pressure off other staff to address issues that she is specifically trained to manage.

Last year, a total of 79 students were referred for counseling, and this year, the school is on track to exceed that number. The demand for counseling is increasing each year, and Paula has a full caseload, often with a waitlist. Cutting Paula's position would be detrimental to the well-being of our school community and undermine the successful programs that she has implemented over the years. The program she has fostered at Flowery Elementary should be a model for the other elementary schools in the district. 

Given the increasing need for counseling services at Flowery, we believe eliminating counseling services will have severe impacts on all students and staff at Flowery. Children directly using these services will be left without the much needed support and guidance Paula provides. The staff and students who are not receiving direct support would contend impacts of those students not receiving that support, the least of which would be disruption to academic instruction so staff can attempt to assist the impacted students. 

Objective 2: Expand Counseling Services to All Elementary Schools

We further petition the Sonoma Valley Unified School District Board and Superintendent to expand counseling services to all elementary school locations within the district. Every student, regardless of their school location, deserves access to comprehensive counseling services to support their social, emotional, and academic development. Counseling services are crucial in addressing a variety of issues, including emotional regulation, anger management, problem-solving, grief and anxiety, modeling social skills, behavior management, depression, social challenges, making friends, crisis intervention (such as suicide safety checks), restorative resolutions, and life skills building. 

Counselors provide essential support for staff and teachers by identifying red flags concerning student safety, offering classroom management tips, and assisting with student distractions, disruptions, and emotional outbursts that inhibit learning. By having counselors available at all elementary schools, we can diffuse and prevent potential issues from escalating, ensuring a safe and conducive learning environment for all students. Additionally, the middle schools have a psychologist and counselor who could work in partnership with counselors at the elementary schools to ensure students' social and emotional needs are met as they transition to the next step in their educational journey in SVUSD. 

The District has suggested some of the services performed by the school counselor would be absorbed by the elementary school psychologist. However, the psychologist performs assessments and does not have the bandwidth to take on the vital role that the school counselor fills supporting students everyday on site to manage conflict and help students develop and strengthen important social and emotional skills. 

We urge the Board and Superintendent to prioritize the well-being and academic success of our students by retaining Paula Salazar at Flowery Elementary School and expanding counseling services to all elementary school locations within the district.

Thank you for your attention to these urgent matters.