Wapello district rolls out free online therapy and places iPads in schools

Wapello Community School District leaders told the board they have adopted a free online therapy service and equipped each building with an iPad so students can access virtual counseling in a supervised area.

A staff member said the district received three iPads—one for the elementary school, one for the middle school and one for the high school—and the devices will be located near school counselors. The vendor schedules student sessions and sends daily emails to designated staff members to notify them of appointments, the staff member said.

"Students are able to have an online therapy session completely on their own; it’ll be in areas next to our counselor so if there’s a need assistance is there," the staff member said.

School leaders described the service as free and said the vendor provides the devices and ongoing notifications. The district will maintain a staff presence near the iPad locations so counselors or support staff can intervene if needed, the staff member said.

Board members asked how the service integrates with existing counseling workflows and whether the district will monitor usage and outcomes; staff said they receive scheduling emails and will coordinate follow-up through counselors. No district-wide outcome measures were presented at the meeting; staff said the district will collect usage information as the program runs.

The initiative is intended to expand access to mental-health support for students who might lack outside services, the staff member added.

The board did not record a formal roll-call vote in the transcript for adopting the service; discussion and a staff presentation preceded the program’s implementation and device deployment.