The news that Freeport School District has added full-time mental health counseling services to its stable of student services is a very good thing.

Earlier this month school board members for the district voted unanimously to add a full-time counselor, who will be available to students in grades six through 12. The action is the culmination of a yearlong process Superintendent Ian Magness said was intended to be “proactive” and “holistic.”

School board president Dan Lucovich called the move “progressive.”

“It’s an opportunity for the schools to take care of kids and maybe prevent any issues before they escalate,” he told the Eagle.

Apparently the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, which upset many students and staffers at the district, was a catalyst for adding counseling services — as were direct requests from the students themselves in the wake of the massacre.

To their great credit, Freeport officials responded positively and will now offer students the counseling they requested.

This is not just about school shootings or school safety. Navigating life as a child and teenager today is complex and often fraught with unexpected — and to older Americans, inexplicable — pressures and problems. What about opioids? What about social media? What about bullying and the transition from middle to high school?

Yes, students need access to someone they can talk to about these kinds of things — as well as their academic goals and career aspirations. School counseling can’t just be about where students are headed; it needs to address where they are right now and what they’re going through on their way to young adulthood.

Meeting those needs won’t be easy — if it turns out to be, the district will be doing something very wrong — but it is vital.

District officials deserve kudos for stepping up to address an unmet need in their district.