Worcester At-Large Councilor Khrystian King says the city's public schools don't have enough social workers and school adjustment counselors.

King is an adolescent social worker himself. He says there should be one social worker or counselor for every 250 students. Schools like Doherty Memorial High School have 1,900 students, and only two to three counselors. King is requesting the City Manager and district move funds from school resource officers to social workers who have backgrounds in trauma. He says the city is asking too much of police officers.

King, "We're asking them to be something other than a police officer when they're in the schools. We're asking them to establish relationships. License clinicians have the ability to develop therapeutic bonds. They have advanced standing in respects to that skill-set and how to connect people to services and families to services."

King says the fiscal 2021 budget shows there isn't enough funding for 50 student support positions.