Creating a Culture of Safety: A Rural School’s Story

Post-pandemic measures show increases in mental health concerns, chronic absenteeism, and disciplinary incidents in schools across the US. This article focuses on how a rural school district in western New York, Silver Creek Central School District, is addressing student mental health needs, working to lower absenteeism rates, and increasing student engagement through purposeful programming and support system under the leadership of their superintendent and support from the board of education.