NORTH SMITHFIELD — For the first time, every North Smithfield school will have a full-time psychologist on staff as students head back to school this week. And it’s one of several staffing changes and updates in the school system with the start of the 2025-2026 school year.

Superintendent Michael St. Jean told The Valley Breeze that the milestone of hiring school psychologists has been years in the making and that these permanent roles are funded through the district’s operating budget.

“This has been like trying to find a unicorn,” he joked to the School Committee at last Tuesday’s meeting.

In a “Back to School” newsletter sent to families last week, St. Jean also noted that the district will be without two School Resource Officers at the start of the year, though replacements are in

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