WACO, Texas (KXXV) — Waco ISD and Waco Family Medicine are launching a new school-linked behavioral health partnership aimed at addressing what district leaders describe as a sharp increase in student mental and behavioral health needs.
Watch the full story here:
Melissa King-Knowles, deputy superintendent for Waco ISD, said the challenges students face mirror trends seen across Texas and the nation.
“It’s more far reaching in that it spans across the state, it spans nationwide. These issues that we're talking about in relation to mental health… what we see reflected in our students is indicative of what we see across the country and the state,” she said.
The initiative will embed licensed behavioral health clinicians on three middle school campuses — Cesar Chavez, Tennyson and G.W. Carver — beginning this school year.
The program is part of a broader effort by Waco Family Medicine to expand community-based care and follows other school-linked initiatives such as mobile dental clinics and vision services.
District officials said the move comes as more students are exhibiting signs of anxiety, depression, trauma and difficulty managing day-to-day functioning. King-Knowles said local needs are especially significant.
She noted that data from Waco Family Medicine shows the number of hospitalizations for mental health struggles in the Waco area exceeds the state average by roughly 29%.
As the partnership begins, King-Knowles said the district hopes the program will make it easier for students and families to access care.
“We have a long standing partnership with Waco Family Medicine and we're super proud and excited to have another layer to that,” she said. “I think the biggest hope that we have is to remove barriers. We want to serve as a bridge for our families and our students to receive access to services that we know are desperately needed.”
She added that the district’s message to families is one of support as the new services roll out.
“We understand that there are issues and we have compassion for that. We also know how important it is to emerge from our schools to be equipped and ready to tackle the world and we wanna do everything that we possibly can to ensure that you are equipped to do so,” she said.
The district selected middle schools for the pilot because that is often when behavioral health concerns begin to emerge more visibly. King-Knowles said increased use of the new services will be one of the first indicators of success.
Longer-term signs of improvement could include stronger attendance, higher academic achievement and survey results showing students feel healthier and more supported, she said.
She also highlighted a milestone: Waco ISD is the first district to partner with Waco Family Medicine in this way.
The program is expected to expand to additional campuses if data supports continued growth.
