By Leah Sander
InkFreeNews

AKRON — Assessing local mental health needs is on the agenda for the next Tippecanoe Valley School Board meeting.

TVSC Superintendent Blaine Conley informed the TVSC Board of that news at the board’s public work session on Thursday, Oct. 14. The discussion will be at the board’s regular meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 19, at Mentone Elementary School.

The meeting starts at 6 p.m.

Valley Connects, formerly known as the Tippecanoe Valley Mental Health Task Force, works to improve mental health in the Valley community.

Conley said the chair of Valley Connects, TVSC Director of Special Services Meagan Wilks, will give an update on the organization.

“She wants to share information with you guys and the school community about how Valley Connects was formed and what they do for the school system and the community and she wants to share the results of a community survey and then the action steps for the community in the area of mental health programming and the updated goals of Valley Connects,” said Conley.

“I think there’s really a focus of working with families is what we’re going to hear on Tuesday night and what (Valley Connects) is doing to help families just from what our school corporation can do in making those connections with them,” said Conley.

Child care

Conley said a discussion on a planned child care center in the corporation will also be held at Tuesday’s meeting.

He said the corporation hopes to have it in place next year.

“That child care center will be for Tippecanoe Valley School Corp. employees and their children, so we’re excited about that,” he said.

The Valley Board accepted a $200,000 grant last year to establish the center. The funds were part of a more than $4.3 million grant the Kosciusko County Community Foundation received from Lilly Endowment Inc.

In other business, the board:

• Also heard from Conley that a $24,000 check was going to be presented to the corporation on Tuesday. That money was raised via the Sweet Sassy Golf Classic in honor of Valley football coach and staff member Scott Bibler, who passed away in a plane crash in 2015.
• Heard from Conley that an update on planning for the high school renovation project would also be given at Tuesday’s meeting.