BOURBON COUNTY, Ky. (LEX News) — During the 2025-2026 school year, mental health curriculum was added to Paris Elementary. After a successful first year with the program, school officials say they will continue the curriculum for this school year.
"We've reduced our suspensions by about 49 days which is pretty significant, our absentee rate we've reduce by over 1000 days, and our unexcused absences we've reduced by about 370," said Principal Leann Pickerill.
The two programs, Sources of Strength and Too Good For Drugs, are equipping her students with important communication and emotional processing skills, according to Pickerill.
"This is where you learn how to handle difficulties, this is where you learn how to self advocate, this is where you learn how to handle your feelings because our feelings can be really big," said Pickerill.
Posted all around the school are inspirational messages and reminders of how to report bullying and other negative behaviors.
Superintendent Stephen McCauley says right now, the kids born during the COVID-19 pandemic are in elementary school.
"I think when we see probably the amount of screen time kids are seeing, periods of isolation, the world is coming at our kids faster than ever before, due to social media and media in general and I think that compounds when you're talking about a young child," said McCauley.
So he says, the mental health curriculum was born through a partnership with the Bourbon County Health Department.
Andrea Viney, public health coordinator, tells LEX News a 2022 community survey showed mental health as a top concern for community members.
Another survey that is distributed in Kentucky schools to 6th, 8th, 10th and 12th graders, showed more than 10% of 6th graders considered attempting suicide.
Viney said they knew something had to change.
"We love you and we want to see the best for you, there is help out there, there are resources out there," said Viney. "These kids are learning these tactics and skills to be able to communicate with adults much easier than they would have before they had this program."
The program will be continuing in the fall.
