Texas tragedy renews calls for mental health resources in Utah schools

SALT LAKE CITY — Tuesday’s tragic mass capturing at a Texas elementary college has devastated educators in Utah.

“It is not regular to lose youngsters after they’re 10 years outdated,” mentioned Heidi Matthews, the president of the Utah Training Affiliation. “It isn’t regular to have our colleges be the place of violence. We should do one thing about it.”

There have been 16 college shootings within the U.S. in 2011, in keeping with latest information from the Middle for Homeland Protection and Safety. There have been 249 in 2021 — the best variety of incidents in recorded historical past. The following highest yr was 2019, with 119 shootings.

“We’ve such a profound belief positioned in us in our colleges,” mentioned Matthews. “To think about college being a spot the place youngsters may not come residence someday, it is simply it is devastating. It is heartbreaking, and I am simply, I am simply enraged.”

The Utah PTA has been advocating for a invoice proposed by State Senator Daniel Thatcher that might convey college students extra assets for psychological well being and suicide prevention.

PTA President Stacey Mollinet says colleges want extra nurses, social staff and faculty psychologists.

“The issue actually shouldn’t be the security of our colleges,” she mentioned. “Our colleges have carried out elevated security measures. They’ve locked perimeter doorways, they preserve observe of all of the visitors that are available in. And actually, assets have proven that our colleges are one of many most secure locations for our youngsters to be, however the true drawback lies within the added burden that’s on our educators proper now.”

The Utah Training Affiliation echoes the PTA’s advocacy; Matthews says the options colleges have tried aren’t working.

“We have to have protected colleges for our college students which are the perfect studying environments that we are able to have for them,” she mentioned. “We all know that placing steel detectors and all of these sorts of issues does not create that atmosphere.”

Though no college in Utah has seen a tragedy like this, these training leaders agree that it might occur anyplace.

“That’s simply information no mum or dad ever needs to listen to,” mentioned Mollinet. “My coronary heart simply broke for these dad and mom and people households in that neighborhood.”