“Our goal for every student is to be a graduate and walk out and have three options,” says Dana Ayers, who is beginning her fifth year as superintendent. “That’s being enrolled, enlisted, or employed.” The framework aligns with North Carolina’s statewide educational goals. In a county where the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians maintains a portion of its Qualla Boundary reservation and where visitor spending reached $468 million in 2023, the district actively prepares students for careers that sustain the regional economy, healthcare to hospitality, from entrepreneurship to skilled trades. A TIERED MENTAL HEALTH APPROACH TO SUPPORTING THE WHOLE STUDENT The mental health infrastructure at Jackson County Public Schools operates on a tiered model that reaches every student in the district. “We recognize that a student’s academic success is not a silo,”Ayers explains. “All those other things have to be part of what makes them successful.” At the foundation, all students receive character education delivered by classroom teachers, focusing on skills that build good citizenship and positive peer relationships. For students needing additional support, the district employs more counselors and social workers than the standard North Carolina allotment, a direct response to advocacy from students themselves several years ago. “Our students spoke out and said, this is what we need,” explains Angela Dills, Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction. “Our community, school board, and county commissioners listened and provided some extra support.”The county’s willingness to fund positions beyond state requirements reflects Jackson County’s history of educational investment, dating back to when it implemented a one-to-one device program, years before the pandemic made such technology essential. The most advanced tier addresses students facing more severe challenges. Through the Project AWARE grant secured before Ayers arrived, the district employs certified therapists and mental health clinicians who provide intensive counseling services. “We have the ability to connect to mental health supports when a student is experiencing homelessness, suicidal ideation or just struggling 277 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 06, ISSUE 11 JACKSON COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTI5MjAx