Salem-Keizer School District working to prevent suicides after deaths

A major school district in our area is making big changes this year after at least five student suicides last year.

Salem-Keizer School District student IDs now feature suicide prevention hotline numbers on the back.

It’s just one of the steps the district is taking.

This year Oregon passed the Student Success Act, which will send schools a billion dollars a year statewide.

“We’re expecting, we don’t have final numbers yet, about 35 million dollars a year from the Student Success Act, and what I have done is I’ve convened a community task force to begin making plans for those expenditures," said Salem-Keizer School District Superintendent Christy Perry. "So, we don’t have plans yet, but one of the things we will be talking about in that task force is mental health and what are the mental health needs of our students."

She said mental health funding is a priority.

“Of course, the money comes in four buckets, so we’ll bring the mental health needs forward into that task force to see how they prioritize it as well,” Perry said.

Schools won’t see the money for mental health until next year. This year is about planning.