Public Radio for the Piedmont and High Country
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Watauga County Schools increases mental health and student support services

Watauga County Superintendent Scott Elliott visits a classroom during a teacher of the year event. The district says it is starting off the year with enough licensed teachers, but is seeing a shortage for bus drivers and other positions. Photo courtesy of Watauga County Schools.

Watauga County Schools kicked off the new academic year with an increase in student enrollment and more programs to serve them. A primary focus for the district is expanding mental health support and access to these services.

For several years Appalachian State University faculty and graduate students have provided a mental health clinic in Watauga County schools. The district recently expanded that partnership to include clinical social workers. It also hired its own clinical licensed social worker to serve students and help grow the program.

Superintendent Scott Elliott says their efforts don't stop there.

“We have implemented an additional day treatment program for middle school students who are experiencing mental health needs," says Elliott. "And we have increased the number of school nurses that we have because we often know that many of the issues that students face first start out as some type of health concern.”

Before the pandemic, the district had seven school nurses. Currently it has 11 that were hired through additional state and federal dollars.

Elliott says the school system will continue to grow mental health services and programs as more funding becomes available.

Staffing in general has been a focus point for the district as the school year begins. The district hired 85 new employees. There's still a need for additional bus drivers, cafeteria workers, and school resource officers.

This small rural school district serves more than 4,700 students. This year, it saw an increase in enrollment of around 150 students.

Follow WFDD's Keri Brown on Twitter @kerib_news

Keri Brown is a multi-award winning reporter and host at 88.5 WFDD. She has been honored with two regional Edward R. Murrow awards for her stories about coal ash, and was named the 2015 radio reporter of the year by the Radio Television Digital News Association of the Carolinas (RTDNAC).Although she covers a variety of topics, her beats are environmental and education reporting.Keri comes to the Triad from West Virginia Public Broadcasting, where she served as the Chief Bureau Reporter for the Northern Panhandle. She produced stories for the state's Public Television and Radio programs and was honored by the West Virginia Associated Press Broadcasters Association for her feature and enterprise reporting.She also served as an adjunct instructor at Wheeling Jesuit University and Bethany College in West Virginia. She worked with the Center for Educational Technologies in Wheeling, WV, and other NASA centers across the country to develop several stories about the use of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) concepts in the classroom.Keri's journalism career began at WTRF-TV 7 in Wheeling. She worked in several roles at the station, including the head assignment editor. She also was a field producer and assignment manager at WPGH-TV Fox 53 in Pittsburgh.Keri is a graduate of Ohio University. When she's not in the studio or working on a story, she enjoys watching college football with her family, cooking, and traveling.Keri is always looking for another great story idea, so please share them with her. You can follow her on Twitter @kerib_news.

Support quality journalism, like the story above,
with your gift right now.

Donate