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Superintendent details crisis response after student death, highlights counseling supports funded by SIA grants
Summary
Superintendent Tim told the board the district activated crisis protocols after a student death on March 20 and coordinated counselors and safe rooms through partners (Kuz Health and Wellness, Waterfall Services) supported by Student Investment Account funding; ongoing monitoring and outreach were pledged.
Superintendent Tim informed the North Bend School Board on April 2 that the district experienced a tragic student death on March 20 and activated its crisis-response procedures to support students and staff.
Tim said the district immediately coordinated with community partners, including Kuz Health and Wellness and Waterfall Services, and that the local education service district provided additional support staff. The high school opened counseling 'safe rooms' that remained available over spring break; the district continued offering counseling upon return and arranged for ongoing monitoring for students who needed extra support.
The superintendent credited the Student Investment Account (SIA) grant and the corporate activity tax funding that supports it, saying those funds helped the district employ additional counselors and establish partnerships that augmented in-house services.
'Without it, we could not have the partnerships we have with Kuz Health and Wellness and employ three additional counselors,' Tim said, urging continued advocacy for SIA funding so those services remain available.
Tim also described other mental-health initiatives, including a youth-art campaign tied to suicide prevention and an online program to help families navigate insurance and find local providers. He praised school staff for their immediate response and said the district will continue expanding mental-health supports while monitoring students and staff needs.
Next steps: district administrators will continue counseling outreach, monitor affected students, and explore further expansion of community-based mental-health partnerships with the aim of sustaining supports through available grant funding.
