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Suicide has AASD reviewing policies

District cooperating with police probe into student’s death

The Altoona Area School Board is moving forward to scrutinize its policies for student services as the community mourns the loss of a seventh-grade student to suicide.

Pittsburgh attorney Jocelyn P. Kramer, a partner at Weiss Burkardt Kramer LLC, was approved Thursday to supervise that process.

Kramer practices education law exclusively. Her primary practice areas are special education, student services and school employment law. She also serves as deputy solicitor for the School District of Pittsburgh.

The board hired Kramer at $175 per hour to review “policies, procedures and operational systems K-12, with a focus on student services.”

Although the board’s agreement with her was effective immediately, her reviewing of the district’s policies has not yet begun, district officials said.

Meanwhile, Lt. Ben Jones said Friday that Altoona City police are continuing to gather information and go through evidence in the investigation of Wyatt Lansberry taking of his own life.

“The district has been very transparent and assisted us in every way,” Jones said.

Altoona Area Superintendent Charles Prijatelj said on Thursday that changes in the school culture, namely bullying, won’t happen overnight.

Student-counselor ratio

Family and teachers who spoke about Wyatt’s demeanor said he displayed none of the outward signs that he was the target of bullying, but it was said at the Thursday night meeting that he reported to a counselor about bullying.

The family said they did not receive a phone call from the district that Wyatt engaged a counselor about bullying.

The counselor to student ratio at the high school and junior high school is about one counselor to 300 students, Community Relations Director Paula Foreman said on Friday.

The junior high school had 1,762 students as of May 1 and six counselors, Foreman said.

The state-chartered Pennsylvania School Coun-selor Association supports what the American School Counselor Association recommends — a one counselor to 250-student ratio.

Counselors are handling about 50 more students than the recommended amount.

In terms of other staff numbers, Prijatelj laid out the statistics of staff reductions as the board set out to budget for 2017-18, long before tragedy struck on May 18.

Since 2002, a total of 18.5 instructional positions have been eliminated at the junior high school level, equivalent staffing for 463 students.

In addition, 15 extra-duty, 1 non-instructional and 1 part-time non-instructional positions have been eliminated.

During the same period, junior high enrollment has only decreased the equivalent of eight instructional positions — from an average of 2,000 students between the two former junior high schools to 1,800 students at the Altoona Area Junior High School.

Current policy

While there are likely multiple policies the district will review, here’s an overview of the district’s current suicide prevention policy:

n The school board adopted a suicide awareness, prevention and response policy on Aug. 15, 2015, in accordance with a new state law.

n In 2014, Act 71 was signed into law in Pennsylvania. That law added a section to the state’s school code, specifically requiring school districts to adopt a youth suicide awareness and prevention policy and to provide ongoing professional development in youth suicide awareness and prevention for professional educators in buildings serving students in grades 6-12.

n Act 71 also permits school entities to provide age-appropriate instruction regarding child exploitation for students in grades K-8. If a school entity provides this instruction to its students, the school entity must provide professional development related to child exploitation awareness to those educators assigned to teach courses into which child exploitation awareness education has been incorporated.

Altoona Area’s policy establishes protocols for establishing curriculum.

It reads: “Students shall receive age-appropriate education on the importance of safe, and healthy choices, coping strategies, how to recognize risk factors and warning signs, as well as how to engage school resources and refer friends for help.”

Foreman said Friday those topics are included in health course curriculum.

The suicide awareness, prevention and response policy also calls for all employees to be vigilant for signs.

“All district employees including secretaries, coaches, bus drivers, custodians and cafeteria workers, shall receive information regarding risk factors, warning signs, response procedures, referrals and resources regarding youth suicide prevention,” the policy states.

The policy establishes a districtwide suicide prevention coordinator designated by the superintendent. That coordinator is the counseling department chairman, Foreman said.

The coordinator is responsible for planning and coordinating implementation of the policy. Each building principal shall also designate a schoolwide suicide prevention coordinator to act as a point of contact for the districtwide coordinator, according to the policy.

The policy outlines warning signs that someone may be in danger of suicide. Expressions include perceived hopelessness, recklessness or risky behavior, suspected increased of alcohol or drug use, withdrawal from friends and family and dramatic mood changes.

If a district employee identifies a student with one of those risk factors, that employee is directed per the policy to refer the student for further assessment and intervention.

Mirror Staff Writer Russ O’Reilly is at 946-7435.

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