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The district's two public middle schools each employ one guidance counselor for each of <br />their three grades. Our interviews indicated that these professionals work to identify and help <br />students with basic needs but that they do not know much about or feel part of atown-wide <br />social service system. They seem to be lacking in knowledge about how to operate on health <br />and housing needs. They are particularly aware, however, of the unmet needs of households in <br />transportation. Some students from homes with low incomes are unable to attend after-school <br />programs for tutoring, sports, and extracurricular activities in general because the district <br />provides no late bus services and the bus service that does exist is expensive. Some of the <br />counselors believe that a teen center would be especially valuable. <br />Both middle schools seem lacking in knowledgability about town services. A <br />comprehensive booklet of information would be very worthwhile. <br />9. Lexington Clergy Association (LCA). Houses of worship in Lexington are linked <br />together through the LCA. It has a chairperson and conducts common business at its regular <br />monthly luncheon meetings. The levels and specifics of resources and services provided are <br />highly variable from place to place and each place works within its own policies and practices. <br />Ministers, priests and rabbis most often hold discretionary funds which they dispense under <br />variable terms and conditions to persons who call or visit for help. This help includes provision <br />of coupons for goods and lodging. Others maintain collection baskets for foodstuffs that are <br />donated to households in need. <br />we could not learn about how many persons and households are helped by members of <br />the LCA, which does not maintain general intake records. Members estimated that on average <br />they received two requests per month. LCA members discussing these questions at a monthly <br />17 <br />