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31 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Page 18 Successful implementation of social and emotional learning must be embedded throughout the complete fabric of our school district from core instruction, professional development to hiring practices. Providing a director of SEL and Restorative Practices will assure systemic implementation of the SEL Program to include the development and implementation of SEL standards, curriculum, instructional practices, assessments and professional learning. This position will be used to sustain core practices across every school to include how we communicate about SEL, how we explicitly teach SEL,how we integrate SEL into academics, and how we promote SEL throughout the school day and beyond into our communities. As noted in the previous budget report, the Director of SEL/RP will be critical in ensuring that this vision is actualized across our district. This position would partner with other departments in our district to include the Instructional Services Division, Equity office and Human Resources to ensure that SEL is deeply embedded and successfully implemented in all practices that direct student success. The cost of implementing the Director position will total $150,000 for salary and matching benefits. Given the fact that we know not all student needs are the same, school districts are required to offer additional learning supports as identified through data points to include academic, social and behavior measures. When we think about the implications for our students and their mental well-being, it is vital that we not only offer the core practices, but given this recent year and its impact on student learning, we must plan for tier II targeted support. During the previous budget report,we discussed the need for additional supports in high schools to create safe and inclusive learning environments through the implementation of the dean of student positions. These positions will help our high schools build their SEL programming with intentional emphasis on supporting students in developing social and academic efficacy. Additional priorities for this position would include offering direct skill building experiences to students in the areas of executive functioning skills, de-escalation, and problem solving. The cost of implementing three dean of student positions totals $288,000. Two years ago, the Board approved adding four mental health specialists, one for each high school, to address the mental health needs of our students. This addition was driven by the need to offer a continuum of services in advancing school-based mental health awareness, quality prevention, intervention, and other supports provided to students, staff and families. During the pandemic, mental health specialists were able to offer additional counseling sessions to students to address needs varying from dealing with acute stress and trauma to increasing executive functioning skills. Mental Health Specialists provide clinical and practical knowledge in the areas of Cognitive Behavior Therapy(CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy(DBT), Individual, Group, and Family Modalities and Mindfulness, all of which offer tiers 1I and III supports for our students. Data collected during the first semester indicated that secondary students, specifically middle school students could benefit from consideration of increased school-based mental health staff, one for each middle school. The total cost of implementing a mental health specialist at each middle school would be $384,000 in salaries and benefits for the 4 positions. Given the impact this school year has had on students across all grade levels, the Board asked for additional consideration to be given in expanding social and emotional supports at the elementary level. While most elementary schools have been able to maintain a consistent level of student engagement as measured by satisfactory attendance of 90% or greater, chronic absenteeism continues to be an issue across elementary schools, impacting some more so than 00 Chapel Hill—Carrboro City Schools—FY 2021-22 Recommended Budget empower inspire