Vigo County Schools expand health, mental-health and attendance programs; restorative course reduces arrests for vaping

Dr. Tammy Washington, chief accountability officer for Vigo County School Corporation, told the board the district has expanded school-based health and behavioral supports and is using data automation to target chronic absenteeism.

"Within our department ... we are responsible for state reporting, grants and assessments, nursing and medical services, student-family engagement, attendance ... Safety and security falls in our department," Dr. Washington said, summarizing the Office of Accountability’s responsibilities and introducing staff leading those efforts.

Elaine Miller, chair of nursing, said school-based health clinics operated by Valley Professionals now serve Terre Haute North, South and West, and that clinics have kept many students in class by handling sick and wellness visits on site. "Those kids are seen and can go right back to class if they need to," Miller said, adding that updated data raised West Vigo visit counts to more than 118 after a backlog was entered.

The district also described behavioral-health coverage at its high schools (North: three days/week; South and West: five days/week since mid-November) and the hiring of Marie Fields as a full-time school-based facilitator of mental health and counseling services beginning this fall.

On attendance, Cody Dolly, coordinator of student and family engagement, outlined a multi-pronged "Every Day Counts" initiative that includes automated absence reports to principals, school-level interventions, and a forthcoming public-awareness media campaign involving students and the mayor. "Out of Vigo County students who attend 96% or more score an average of 10% higher on state assessments," Dolly said, citing the statistic the district uses to make the case for early-intervention work in elementary schools.

The board also heard about a restorative measures course developed with community partner Casey (Chances and Services for Youth) that the district uses as an alternative to immediate arrest for students caught with vaping or THC on campus. Shannon Giles of Casey described the three-night course — held one week per month, three evenings in a row with a parent present — as educational, interactive and focused on health impacts and family supports. The district reported that 75 students this year who otherwise would have been processed on paper for THC incidents were instead offered the course; roughly 90% completed it, and seven students who did not comply were later "arrested on paper" and required to appear before a judge.

District staff said the restorative program is paired with counseling and community resources, teen-court diversion options and prevention curricula (Catch My Breath) for freshmen and select middle school grades. Casey also runs counseling, mentoring, Teen Court referrals and other prevention work inside schools.

Board members asked about program capacity, summer availability of clinics (currently limited to the school year), and training limits for school safety specialists (the state currently allows five corporation staff per year to attend the specialized training). Dr. Washington said the district will continue to track capacity and outcomes and can return with deeper data if the board requests it.

The board did not take action on these program updates; presenters asked whether the board wanted further data, and officials offered to follow up with more detailed measures of program impact.