Brandon Twp.- A group of about 40 school officials, parents and concerned community members met on Feb. 27 to discuss issues including substance abuse prevention and grief support.
The meeting held at the Brandon School District Central Office was prompted, said Superintendent Lorrie McMahon, by concerns following the death of former Brandon High School student Joshua Freeman, 17, on Jan. 22.
‘We are going to revisit our policies regarding how the school district responds to difficult situations,? McMahon said. ‘Exactly what those situations are need to be defined.?
The response of the school district to Freeman’s death, the cause of which has not been publicized, has been questioned. While the district made school counselors available to students, it has been suggested that outside counseling services should have been offered. The discussion group, currently dubbed the ‘critical incident action team,? is pondering what steps should be taken in handling grief support for the school community following the death of a student, parent, or faculty member.
At the meeting, the team also discussed what is in place now regarding substance abuse education.
‘We feel we need to look at our curriculum in that area and shore it up, beef it up a little bit,? McMahon said. ‘A greater emphasis on drug education in the middle school is a priority.?
Updates to the Brandon Community Resource Directory, which contains numbers for social services support, is also planned.
McMahon said another meeting will be scheduled, but no date has been set.
She estimated it will be fall before a new policy regarding critical incidents is in place.