Guerneville School psychotherapy rental arrangement withdrawn

A west county marriage and family therapist who had arranged to rent on-campus space at Guerneville School where she would meet with clients has dropped the deal amid controversy and legal impediments to the plan, school personnel said.

Shannon Rogge, who previously counseled students on the K-8 campus under contract with a nonprofit agency, had hoped to run a private psychotherapy practice from a room she was to share with the campus home-school teacher for $250 a month, according to an agreement approved by the school board last week.

Rogge said in an email Tuesday that she had been eager to provide mental health services to the river community at low cost during afternoon hours. She also said the idea to rent space at the school came from a teacher.

But some parents and school families objected to the plan, saying it was inappropriate for the school to cater to a private business, especially one they feared would could permit potentially troubled individuals onto campus during school hours.

The controversy prompted a special board meeting Monday night to revisit the matter.

School Superintendent/Principal Elaine Carlson announced at the meeting that Rogge had withdrawn from the agreement. But Carlson also said the school’s legal counsel had advised her the plan could not move forward.