Killingly, CT students will finally get much-needed mental health services
Students in the Killingly Public Schools (KPS) district will now have access to mental health resources after the lack of them drew statewide and national attention and produced a years-long saga advocating for them.
An agreement between the town, a group of concerned parents, and the Connecticut State Department of Education was reached in July. Under the agreement, KPS will provide full-time mental health services for middle and high school students through a new center. It will also give part-time help at one of its elementary schools and provide outreach efforts to inform families of the available resources.
Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont praised the outcome in a statement released on July 19, the day the agreement was reached.
“This is a significant victory for the students of Killingly,” Lamont stated. He noted that the resolution was a testament to the unwavering commitment of the Connecticut State Department of Education and the State Board of Education “in prioritizing the social, behavioral, and mental health of our students.”
The agreement comes nearly two and a half years after a debate over the lack of mental health resources for students arose. The backlash occurred following a March 16, 2022, 6-3 vote by the Killingly Board of Education to reject a proposal to provide a grant funded, mental health center at the high school.
The decision sparked outrage in Killingly and beyond, drawing a state investigation and contributing to several school board members being voted out of office last fall, including board chair Janice Joly resigning three days after the vote.
Discussion of a mental health center and services began after a nonprofit organization’s 2021 survey of Killingly students in grades seven through 12 produced troubling results. Nearly 30 percent of the respondents reported that they had thoughts about hurting themselves and 14.7 percent had made suicide plans.
After the March 2022 vote, parents filed a complaint with state authorities who produced an initial report documenting KPS’s “repeated failure and refusal to implement reasonable interventions to address its students’ clear mental health, social-emotional, and behavioral needs.”
A subsequent series of hearings in front of a Connecticut State Board of Education panel ultimately led to the resolution being ratified and the agreement reached.
The day the agreement was reached, a group of Killingly parents who helped lead the drive for mental health services for students voiced their happiness with the result of the years long battle.
Kristine Cicchetti’s youngest child graduated from Killingly High School in June and had advocated for mental health services on campus along with her mother.
“We’re happy that it finally came to a conclusion,” Cicchetti was quoted in a published report. “We’re saddened it took so long, but it is what it is, and we’re not going to worry about that.”
Representatives from the state education department, KPS, and the group of Killingly parents formally accepted the resolution that will take effect during the 2024-24 school year.
Under the terms of the agreement, the state Department of Education will continue to monitor Killingly to ensure the district is meeting students’ mental health needs.