By Martha Jacob
Sun staff

Members of the New Richmond Village Exempted Schools Board of Education plan on taking proactive steps in helping students cope with issues they may experience on a daily basis.

Students may deal with issues such as truancy, social withdrawal, overaggressive behaviors, rebelliousness and the effects of special physical, emotional or economic behavior.

At the board’s March 16 meeting the board discussed at great length a plan to hire social workers for each of the schools. The schools have guidance counselors on staff, but the board feels that a social worker would have more skills to deal with social issues.

“We just feel that our kids are dealing with some serious problems, from drugs, to bad home lives, to struggles with classes,” said board member Tim Dufau. “That’s why we thing a social worker would be able to help our students learn better social skills and be there at the school all the time so that they can help them all.”

About five percent of the nation’s approximately half a million social workers are in public school settings, according to the National Association of Social Workers website.

The NASW believes it can be very difficult for some students to make it through school while facing so many outside struggles, often facing them alone. Social workers are well equipped and trained to address the social and psychological issues that can block academic progress.

“We think that through these social workers, who will offer specialized counseling, crisis interventions and prevention programs,” Dufau said, “They can help our students overcome some of the difficulties in their lives and help to give them a better chance at succeeding not only in school but also in life.”

He added, “As board members, it’s our job to try and help our students any way that we can, and we feel like this is a good start.”

The board will begin right away looking for suitable candidates to fill the positions. Each school will have one social worker.