Danville School Board proclaims September 2025 Suicide Awareness and Prevention Month

The Danville School Board adopted a proclamation on Sept. 18, 2025, designating September 2025 as Suicide Awareness and Prevention Month across Danville Public Schools.

Casey Cunningham, who presented the proclamation, said the district recognizes suicide as “a leading cause of death among youth and young adults in The United States” and urged the community to “promote mental health, provide hope, and create safe environments for all students.” The proclamation text adopted by the board directs Danville Public Schools to promote educational programs and resources, provide staff training to identify individuals at risk, and collaborate with local mental‑health agencies.

Superintendent Angela Harrison highlighted district services available to students, saying the schools provide one‑on‑one counseling, intensive in‑home services, therapeutic day treatment, crisis stabilization, psychiatric services, substance‑use counseling and mentoring. Harrison told the board that 149 students were then receiving professional counseling and 71 were in therapeutic day treatment.

Board members asked about outreach and awareness. Trustee Bang recounted an inter‑district youth event where many Danville students demonstrated awareness of available supports, and the board noted a district “yellow day” on Sept. 10 to raise visibility. The proclamation was adopted as part of the consent package and signed for the record; the document in the packet lists the adoption date as Sept. 18, 2025, and is signed by the school‑board chair and the superintendent.

The board did not adopt new funding in the meeting for additional services; the proclamation directs staff to continue and expand awareness, training, and partnerships and to report on implementation as part of ongoing district work.