Carroll school counseling cuts considered

WESTMINSTER, Md. (AP) - A proposal to eliminate some counseling jobs in Carroll County public schools is running into opposition.

The Carroll County Times (https://bit.ly/1hUQsvs ) reports in its Wednesday edition that the proposed merger of crisis counselor and dropout-prevention positions at the county’s eight high schools would save the school system $676,000.

Crisis counselor Jeffrey Shrader says the added workload could hamper a counselor’s ability to respond quickly to students in crisis. Shrader says he works with students who are suicidal, being bullied or dealing with drug and mental-health issues.

Two recent graduates say crisis counselors helped them through difficult periods.

Chief Financial Officer Chris Hartlove says merging the positions isn’t an ideal solution to the school system’s budget crunch. But he says the proposal is partly intended to avoid cutting classroom teachers.

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Information from: Carroll County Times of Westminster, Md., https://www.carrollcounty.com/