"It was devastating. Obviously those closest to him were the most shattered. But no one wants to believe someone so young could feel so hopeless as to end his own life. Everyone grieved at some level. The crisis team was overwhelmed with sad students and teachers. There was a lot of crying. There were a lot of questions about how and why and the events leading up to it. Many students who didn't know him were just reminded of losses they'd experienced . . . many expressed a sense of helplessness."

At another school, a principal wrote that along with the shock came some outlandish stories and gossip. "There was also very real grief mixed in with some professional grievers."

At another school, where two 17-year-old girls hanged themselves in a two-year period, school officials said only a few students were impacted because the girls weren't well known. Those few students received ongoing counseling.

Some schools have detailed suicide prevention plans in place; others have no program at all.

Several participate in the "Hope for Tomorrow" program, a suicide prevention effort sponsored by the National Alliance on the Mentally Ill (NAMI) that includes a video, a presentation and discussion with students.

Beyond that, schools demonstrate various ways of identifying and reaching out to young people at risk of depression or mental health concerns.

Competing priorities

Some schools want more time and money to boost education regarding the controversial matter while others share the opinion of one principal who wrote: "I disagree that the school should be providing awareness for this topic."

Some schools want a clear-cut script for dealing with their student body if a suicide occurs; others say the case-by-case approach that integrates parents, counselors, clergy and teachers seems to work best.

Given more money and attention, educators had a variety of suggestions for preventing suicide.

"A speakers bureau that would be available before suicide occurs."

"(Improve) the counselor-to-student ratio."

The state should have age-appropriate curricula for each grade approved for and paid by the Legislature, one author suggested. "Even just a video to show so there is no gray area about what we can and can't say."

For now, academic testing and regulation seems to trump suicide prevention.

"It's always about time and money," one principal wrote. "With UPASS/AYP, No Child Left Behind etc. . . . we're stretched as thin as we can be."

Another wrote: "When the state funds education's (weighted pupil unit, WPU) at almost the lowest in the country, I'd be surprised if it would choose suicide as something to address financially."

"Any help and support are always appreciated, but I think we are doing a decent job with what resources we have," the survey respondent said. "Kind, caring faculty and staff that connect with the kids are the best prevention."

"Better awareness would be appreciated," wrote one counselor. "As a parent of an adult child who attempted suicide, it is a life-altering experience. Even as a trained counselor, I missed the signs."

"Here's the problem," concluded another official. "There is so much that affects our students in the way of social issues: suicide, drug/alcohol prevention, Internet safety, bullying, character education, depression etc. . . . etc. . . . At the same time, there is more and more attention given to academic achievement and test scores. We try to do it all, but we just can't do everything."

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Contributing: Lee Davidson

E-mail: lucy@desnews.com