Photo: Rep. Will Coursey
A bill that lawmakers hope will address mental health needs of Kentucky public school students in response to school shootings like the one at Marshall County High School in January made it through the Kentucky House Friday by a 81-1 vote. The bill would require school districts or public charter schools to hire or contract with one mental health professional per every 1,500 students as public or private funds become available, beginning with the 2019-2020 school year. That mental health professional would help meet another requirement in the bill directing all public schools to adopt a “trauma-informed approach” that focuses on the needs of struggling students to create safer schools.
State Representative Will Coursey of Graves County filed House Bill 604 in the aftermath of a January 23 shooting in his district in which two 15-year old Marshall County High School students, Bailey Holt and Preston Cope, were killed when Gabriel Parker allegedly opened fire at the school that also left a dozen others injured.
The bill now goes ot the Senate for consideration.
