A student meets with a counselor in this stock image illustrating school-based mental health support. Redlands Unified recently approved a policy formalizing how students are referred to services. (iStock photo by D-Keine)
REDLANDS, Calif. — The Redlands Unified School District Board of Education approved a revised student mental health policy during its April 14 meeting, advancing the proposal after previously pulling it for further review.
Why it matters: Administrative Regulation 5141.5 is intended to formalize how schools identify students in need of mental health support and connect them with services. The policy’s approval marks a step forward after debate over parental notification, crisis response procedures and how much discretion schools should have.
Details: The updated version reflects several edits made both in committee and during the board meeting, focusing largely on clarifying language rather than altering the policy’s overall structure.
Board members revisited questions about who can access student information, with staff emphasizing that communication is limited to individuals with educational rights, not simply any listed parent or guardian.
The board also addressed inconsistencies around oversight language. The policy states the superintendent may conduct an annual evaluation of mental health services. It was then clarified that if an evaluation is conducted, the results will be reported to the board.
Much of the discussion again centered on how and when parents should be involved in student mental health decisions.
One section outlining examples of when parental notification might be inappropriate drew renewed scrutiny. Board members, including Candy Olson and Jeannette Wilson, argued that certain examples — particularly those suggesting a student might avoid treatment due to fear of a parent’s reaction — were too vague or did not justify excluding families.
“The parent is in charge of whether or not there’s necessary treatment,” Olson said. “The school is really not the ultimate authority on what is necessary for a child's care.”
What was approved: After a procedural back-and-forth, the board approved several amendments, including cleaning up redundancies, modifying a paragraph for clarity and removing an example related to parental notification concerns.
Additional minor edits, such as punctuation and formatting, were also flagged for cleanup.
Board members Melissa Ayala-Quintero and Patty Holohan raised concerns about making substantive edits during a public meeting rather than sending the item back for further review.
“I even asked you if you or anyone else had any notes on any other areas, and you said no,” Ayala-Quintero said to Wilson, referring to the prior committee meeting. “We went through everything…The whole point of having the committee was so we can work through these things, and now on the dais, you're going to go ahead and change it.”
The policy passed on a 3–2 vote. Board President Michele Rendler, along with Wilson and Olson, voted in favor. Holohan and Ayala-Quintero voted no.
Moving forward: Staff will finalize wording adjustments before implementing the policy to reflect the approved changes.
Kathryne is a journalist and creative writer who has contributed to CFR since 2023. When she isn't reporting, she can be found curled up with a thick fantasy book.
