Phoenix-Talent School District receives funding for mental health staff

Students with Live to Tell, a student-led suicide prevention organization, meet with Sen. Jeff Merkley at his Salem office in 2019. Salem Reporter photo by Rachel Alexander
January 9, 2023

Four Oregon districts receive a total of $20 million in federal funding

By Alex Baumhardt, Oregon Capital Chronicle

Three Oregon school districts and an education service district have received $20 million from the U.S. Department of Education to hire more mental health staff.

The Douglas Education Service District, which serves 13 school districts in Douglas County in southwest Oregon, will get more than $6.8 million, the largest of the grants. Portland Public Schools, the state’s largest school district, will receive more than $5.5 million, Corbett School District east of Portland will get nearly $5 million and Phoenix-Talent schools will get more than $2.6 million. The money will be distributed over five years. 

The funding was announced Friday by Oregon’s U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley, both Democrats. 

“Students, teachers and counselors across Oregon tell me just how crucial school-based mental health services are to young people facing challenges at home and in the classroom,” Wyden said in a statement, “but these services are stretched to the breaking point.” 

Portland Public Schools Superintendent Guadalupe Guerrero said in a statement that the district will use the money to hire more than a dozen school psychologists to help students with feelings of isolation, depression and other adverse impacts of the last few years during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Brent Barry, superintendent of the Phoenix-Talent School District, said in a statement that being able to hire more counselors and psychologists will help schools continue to collaborate with La Clinica, a community health center in Medford, to support students and families still dealing with the impact of the 2020 Almeda fire and the pandemic. 

“The need here is tremendous and likely will be for some time,” he said. “We are very excited to get to work and eternally grateful for this opportunity to help our kids and families.”

Alex Baumhardt has been a national radio producer focusing on education for American Public Media since 2017. She has reported from the Arctic to the Antarctic for national and international media, and from Minnesota and Oregon for The Washington Post.

Picture of Bert Etling

Bert Etling

Bert Etling is the executive editor of Ashland.news. Email him at betling@ashland.news.

Related Posts...

Commissioners to discuss Lithia Park master plan Wednesday

Ashland Parks and Recreation Commissioners will consider prioritizing portions of the Lithia Park Master Plan during an evening study session on Wednesday, Nov. 6. Formally adopted during the Oct. 4 APRC business meeting, the Lithia Park Masterplan identifies 37 recommendations for the park’s future.

Read More »

Voters flock to the ballot box at Ashland Public Library

Voters turned out to Ashland’s sole ballot box Tuesday morning outside the Ashland Public Library, some for the first time in their lives. The polls were open until 8 p.m. at the only ballot box in the city. Ashland police had a presence at the ballot box throughout the day and planned to stay until county election workers removed ballots from the box.

Read More »

Our Sponsors

Conscious Design Build Ashland Oregon
City of Ashland Public Notice Ashland Oregon

Latest posts

Commissioners to discuss Lithia Park master plan Wednesday

Ashland Parks and Recreation Commissioners will consider prioritizing portions of the Lithia Park Master Plan during an evening study session on Wednesday, Nov. 6. Formally adopted during the Oct. 4 APRC business meeting, the Lithia Park Masterplan identifies 37 recommendations for the park’s future.

Read More >

Voters flock to the ballot box at Ashland Public Library

Voters turned out to Ashland’s sole ballot box Tuesday morning outside the Ashland Public Library, some for the first time in their lives. The polls were open until 8 p.m. at the only ballot box in the city. Ashland police had a presence at the ballot box throughout the day and planned to stay until county election workers removed ballots from the box.

Read More >

Jackson County voter participation inches toward 60% mark as election looms

One day before the Nov. 5 general election, more than half of Jackson County’s 164,463 eligible voters had returned their ballots — and counting. The Ashland ballot boxes in the alley behind the library at 410 Siskiyou Blvd. will be open until 8 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 5. Under Oregon law, mailed ballots with a Nov. 5 or earlier postmarked will be accepted until Nov. 12.

Read More >

Parks & Recreation Commission Position 2 candidate Q&A

For the upcoming Ashland Parks and Recreation Commission election, all candidates were contacted by Ashland.news for interviews. All who responded were asked the same questions. For this article, Parks & Recreation Commission Position 2 candidates Ian Cropper, Rick Vann and Daniel Weiner say why they’re running what they’d like to get done.

Read More >

Our Sponsors

City of Ashland Public Notice Ashland Oregon
Pronto Printing Ashland Medford Oregon
Ashland.news House Ad

Explore More...

Southern Oregon Burners, a group of Burning Man participants based in Southern Oregon held a “decompression event” known as “Afterburnt” Saturday afternoon, Nov. 2, in Lithia Park. The event is aimed at fostering Burning Man connections and educating others about Burning Man principles. 
As the 2200 Ashland Street ad hoc committee faced the 11th hour of its available time to create a plan for the property, committee members wrestled with diametric opposition of perspectives and unease about uncertainty during a Wednesday evening meeting. 
The Ashland City Council will review an update on the city’s Climate Friendly Communities plan presented by Community Development Department head Brandon Goldman along with consultants from 3JConsulting, JET Planning, and EcoNorthwest who have been contracted to work with the city in developing the initiative at the Monday, Nov. 4, council study session, according to meeting materials. 
A training to help volunteers at the city of Ashland’s severe weather shelter offer trauma informed care will be held by registration only from 3 to 5 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 6. The shelter needs volunteers for this season. Those interested in learning more can contact longtime Ashland shelter volunteer coordinator Avram Sacks at 541-220-7307.
A Southern Oregon University professor has been awarded a $250,000 grant for research in artificial intelligence that’s slated to benefit not only SOU, but UCLA and Cornell University.
ashland.news logo

Subscribe to the newsletter and get local news sent directly to your inbox.

(It’s free)

Don't Miss Our Top Stories

Get our newsletter delivered to your inbox three times a week.
It’s FREE and you can cancel anytime.