BUFFALO TWP — Freeport School District is taking a proactive approach regarding mental health.

The school board at its August meeting unanimously approved adding a full-time counselor who will be available to students in grades six through 12.

The counselor will be hired by the ARIN Intermediate Unit 28, and his or her salary will be paid to the intermediate unit by the school district.

Superintendent Ian Magness said on Tuesday that the district's administrators and school board began considering a full-time mental health counselor about a year ago while studying school security issues.

“We wanted to be proactive and we wanted to address, in a much more holistic manner, school safety and getting kids what they need,” Magness said.

He and the school board hope students will use the counselor to address bullying issues, anxiety, depression or any other issues they may be dealing with.

Magness said a mentally healthy school population is one that is less likely to suffer a tragic event at the hands of a violent student.

He said the shooting in February at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., upset many students and staff alike.

“Anytime school violence occurs, you start to think about school safety even more,” Magness said. “Parkland certainly brought it front and center, the issue of mental health in public schools.”

Students who are in need of mental health services but whose families cannot afford them due to insurance constraints or other issues can also visit the new school counselor, Magness said.

“We wanted something in the buildings that is readily accessible to our children during the school day that we could utilize to assist our kids for any reason,” he said.

In anticipation of adding a counselor, teachers and staff at Freeport have been working to improve the “climate and culture” of the schools to make them welcoming, happy places to learn.

“We have a phrase that we use,” Magness said of the effort to create a safe school. “Good is the enemy of great.”

Magness praised the district's faculty, staff and parents for their support of the idea to install a full-time counselor in the district.

“I think this is an example of what happens when school boards, teachers, administrators and families work together,” he said. “We can do some really good things in our public schools and really put kids first.”

Dan Lucovich, the school board president, said the board is excited to get the program going.

“It helps round out all the safety issues we deal with,” Lucovich said.

He said students, as well as the district and community, will benefit from the move.

“It's an opportunity for the schools to take care of kids and maybe prevent any issues before they escalate,” Lucovich said. “It's very important for us to continue to be very progressive in everything we do.”

He said the board will continue to keep the students' best interests in mind.

“We're going to continue to be progressive to help our students with whatever issues they may have now and in the future,” he said.

While the new counselor will focus on grades six through 12, all students will have access to the service.