A Holtville High School student died tragically and unexpectedly Saturday night.
Principal Sean Kreauter said he couldn’t publicly release the name as notifications were still being made.
“She was a freshman at the high school,” Kreauter said. “She was involved in our athletic programs. She has been in Holtville for a while.”
To help students cope with the loss, school officials are opening the Holtville High School library from 1 to 3 p.m. Sunday to allow students and anyone else to speak to counselors about it.
“We will have our counselor, the middle school counselor and the system’s health coordinator there,” Kreauter said. “We are opening it up for anybody to come.”
Kreauter said he let faculty know Sunday morning of the student’s death and called for support of the entire student body.
“We need everyone to come together to support one another now more than ever,” Kreauter said.
Elmore County Schools superintendent Richard Dennis said he was aware of the situation and was making county staff available to assist in Holtville.
This is the most recent in a string of several deaths of Elmore County students in recent years.
The Elmore County Board of Education has been working to help students by acknowledging mental health struggles. Efforts have been made to make counselors from the Elmore County Family Resource Center and other mental health resources more readily available.Â
Dennis said the holidays can add an extra stressor for those dealing with mental health issues.
“There are so many who are struggling this time of year,” Dennis said. “It has always been there but I think we have a higher percentage of people struggling through this time of the year. The holidays heighten the issues that are going on or the way they are perceiving it. You have all the celebration but behind it there are people who are struggling.”
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