Several area schools receive mental health funding from DPI

Several area school districts have received money for assisting students with mental health challenges.

The Wisconsin State Department of Instruction announced Monday $3.25 million in grant money for schools across the state for mental health. Receiving some of those funds from the area include: La Crosse, Onalaska, Prairie Du Chien, Blair-Taylor, Independence and Whitehall school districts.

For Onalaska, the money is a welcomed opportunity, said Onalaska Superintendent Fran Finco.

“We wanted to develop a multi-tiered system of mental health intervention,” Finco said. “The lowest tier being education for students, all the way up to the highest tier, intensive mental health services for students.”

Finco added that they’ll be able to help even more students, which is a lot better than the current situation.

“There’s such a need to follow up with kids,” Finco said. “Sometimes we don’t get to kids until October and maybe even the beginning November.

This will provide more resources to be able to connect up with students sooner.”

The La Crosse received $24,100. Prairie Du Chien got $75,000.