Public schools address counseling and anti-bullying efforts

Students at the latest school shootings in the U-S could be heard to chant: “Mental health, mental health….” Those shootings occurred Tuesday at a Colorado school. The Walhalla area member of Oconee School Board, Joe Rukat, has been vocal in questioning and pressing the local district to hire more mental health counselors. Through cooperation from the state’s regional mental health center, Oconee School District will add three counselors for the new school year starting in August. But Rukat stresses this is a first step to ensure that all schools eventually have available professionals who can respond to the emotional needs of students. Why someone would bring a gun with intent to fire it into a school or other public settings may be open debate. In Rukat’s view, however, a student who tries to shoot a fellow student is suggestive of someone, for whatever reason, feels alienated and may have been picked on. The applicable word there is bullying and bullying by one student of another, Rukat says, is something the district is working to eliminate.