The report urges Indiana schools to adopt a “trauma-informed” strategy and hire more staff

Indianapolis, Indiana – To improve the atmosphere in Hoosier schools, the Children’s Policy and Law Initiative of Indiana (CPLI) is suggesting modifications.

With Indiana schools falling well below ideal student-staff ratios, its latest report, “Working Together to Create Excellence in School Culture and Climate,” which was released on Saturday, argues that school support services are severely understaffed and underresourced.

The student-to-staff ratio for school social workers is the most obvious example.

It is advised that schools employ one social worker for every 250 kids, according to CPLI.
Indiana schools typically had 2,788 students for every social worker, according to the CPLI survey. Similar staffing shortages for nurses, psychologists, and school counselors have been observed.

By adopting a “trauma-informed” approach to school culture, the report provided districts with a set of steps to address staffing, training, and student safety issues. The results are based on a number of community discussions and workshops held in Marion County from June 2023 to May 2024.

According to CPLI, it has already begun talking to state legislators about the potential implications of its findings for the next legislative session.