'A lot of tragedy:' School officials provide support after string of deaths at Leesville Road HS

Helping teenagers deal with the loss of their classmates and friends can be a tall order, especially when the circumstances surrounding the deaths are not always made public.

School officials said four students, out of a student body of 2,560, have died since August, including two who died in recent weeks. In addition, a teacher and a coach died of natural causes and two former students died in December from what police determined was a drug overdose.

“We know that this school has faced a lot of tragedy this year,” said Crystal Reardon, head of counseling for the Wake County Public School System. “This is an unusual number of people to have lost in one year, but it’s for various reasons. There’s not one thing to point to. It has just happened that these are all losses associated with Leesville High School.”

“This is not a one thing that’s occurring problem. We’re looking for overall ways to keep our students safe and for them to make good choices for themselves,” she said.

Reardon said the approach at Leesville is the same as it is at other schools- to have good communication with kids and look for changes in their behavior.

“Make sure that you’re having open communication, giving them opportunities to connect with you and talk,” she said.

Reardon said there is more than one solution to dealing with the string of heartbreak for the school community. She said drug education, counseling and engaging parents are all part of the solution.

“I understand that when unexplained death occur that people are looking for a quick solution and that they want to have an immediate response, but these are ongoing concerns that we have for the safety of our students,” she said.

The Wake County Public School System offers substance abuse education and counseling for students at all high schools. Reardon said they are also trying to engage parents to help keep kids healthy and happy.