The Upper Perkiomen School Board is enhancing its effort to prevent student suicides in the district. To that end, the main topic of Thursday's Workshop Meeting will be Suicide Prevention and Awareness, according to board President Kerry Drake.

            In an email Monday morning to district families, Drake wrote the meeting will include an open discussion on this sensitive topic. Additionally, he wrote that the board will form an ad-hoc committee on suicide prevention, to work in a focused manner, along with the administration, faculty, support staff and students "to do all we can to help in this area."

            "I have asked the administration and the board to take a focused approach to ensure we communicate what programs are currently in place in the district, and also do our best to identify additional supports, trainings and programs for all of our students and families," the president wrote.   

            The measures are in response to the recent tragic death of a high school student, according to the board president. In the message, he expressed support for the student's family, and assured the community that district officials will continue doing their best to support all the students.

            "As a community, we should recognize that the sudden loss of a student, specifically a suicide, triggers many emotions and stages of grief including a desire to determine a specific reason or rationale for the loss," Drake wrote. "This terrible loss also brings home the reality that today is a different age for students than the one most of us experienced, with many new and unique challenges." 

            According to Drake, the district's continued focus on awareness and prevention will help reduce future tragedies and create a community of supports for everyone.

            "Every life is precious," he wrote. "We will do all we can as a board to ensure our students know to treasure their own lives and the lives of their classmates."