RALEIGH, N.C. — A bipartisan bill was introduced in the North Carolina Senate Monday that would add more school psychologists across the state.
The National Association of School Psychologists shows North Carolina has one of the nation's worst student-to-psychologist ratios, in addition to having one of the lowest average salaries.
The bill comes at a time when experts are warning of student mental health crises and a call for more mental health resources for students to prevent violence.
If passed, the bill would cost taxpayers about $22 million.
This money would go towards pay increases, recruitment, and retention of school psychologists.
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools Board of Education member Jennifer De La Jara has been calling for more state funding for school psychologists for years now.
"We have a lot of students where suicide ideation is up, students who are battling drug abuse and addiction, obviously, there are concerns around firearms and weapons," De La Jara said.
The recommendation from the National Association of School Psychologists is 500 students per one psychologist. Currently, CMS is at 1,500 students per one psychologist.
"We know that the social and emotional well-being being of our children is just as important and actually impacts their academic success as well," De La Jara said. "And what's really poignant to point out is that our students are also asking for that."
The bill would give school psychologists a $650 supplement on top of their paychecks they can earn a 12% monthly bonus of their salary for being nationally certified.
The bill would also create a new grant program for schools to get money to recruit psychologists. CMS would likely not benefit from this portion of the bill since it prioritizes school districts with little to no psychologists, which are normally small and rural districts.
"Very happy that other districts are going to potentially benefit," De La Jara said. "But this is another one of those areas where the larger districts sometimes get left out of what's otherwise really great, meaningful legislation."
The money budgeted would also go to five North Carolina colleges, including Appalachian State University with the goal of doubling the number of school psychologists graduating from the schools.
WCNC Charlotte reached out to the bill's primary sponsors for comment; none responded.