Peoria school district gets rid of social worker positions as state funds run out

The Peoria Unified School District will cut all of its social workers at the end of this year.

For several years, the district has participated in the Arizona School Safety Program. The state-funded grants run in three-year cycles and support the costs of school resource officers, counselors and social workers.

At a governing board meeting earlier this month, Peoria Unified Superintendent KC Somers said the district has nine positions funded through those grants and the money will run out at the end of the school year.

“I do want to stress that this is based solely on the expiration of grant funding and program considerations, truly not a reflection of the performance or value of the individuals in these roles," Somers said.

A district spokesperson told KJZZ they did apply for the next round of grants, but are prioritizing school resource officers.

The state has previously said schools need to prioritize SROs over school counselors in their applications.

Peoria parent Vanessa Goolsby said her daughter has directly benefitted from the people who will be losing their jobs.

“For many students, they are the difference between feeling overwhelmed and feeling supported enough to keep going," Goolsby said.