SPSD awarded mental health grant

Sauk Prairie School District Superintendent Jeff Wright introduced a new grant the district received. The SPSD Cross Agency  Comprehensive Mental Health plan is funded by a U.S. Department of Education School Based Mental Health Grant. The grant application was posted on October 3 of last year and closed on November 3, giving the District a scant month to apply. The plan will prioritize increasing, diversifying, and retaining school based mental health staff. It also includes a plan for collaboration and coordination across agencies. 103 applicants received awards (two in Wisconsin), including Sauk Prairie. The district was awarded a total of $4,660,083 for five years with a 25 percent match requirement on the part of the district. “We knew we were a long shot,” said Wright. “This is the largest competitive grant [we’ve received] as a district.” The official announcement will come in late February or early March.