College Place Public Schools (CPPS) is celebrating a transformative year marked by bold investments in student wellness, mental health support, and improved behavior across all grade levels. The district’s 2024–2025 school year stands as a powerful example of what happens when schools prioritize the whole child.
This year, CPPS made student wellness a top priority by expanding its support system like never before. The district brought in a full-time mental health therapist to serve students across all schools, added more school counselors, hired behavior support professionals, and introduced a dedicated student and community advocate through Communities in Schools. These positions weren’t just funded internally, they were made possible through successful grant awards, including major support from the Balmer Foundation and Walla Walla County Department of Community Health.
In addition to mental and behavioral health supports, CPPS also invested in a second registered nurse to serve students at the secondary level. This role expands the district’s ability to care for not only student medical needs, such as chronic condition management, illness assessment, and medication oversight, but also provides critical services related to health education, injury prevention, and crisis response. The nursing team plays a vital role in student safety, attendance, and readiness to learn.
Together, these professionals formed an all-hands-on-deck student services team with a shared focus on prevention, positive relationships, and early intervention. And the impact? Remarkable.
Across the district, suspensions were reduced by nearly half, and behavior incidents dropped by over 60%. At some schools, office referrals fell by more than two-thirds. Classrooms became calmer, students more focused, and instructional time increased. Compared to the previous year, the district logged hundreds fewer discipline incidents, with staff and students reporting the best behavioral environment in recent memory.
The district’s C.A.R.E. Room model, expanded at the elementary level, became a standout success, welcoming students over 2,700 times throughout the year. Even more impressive: three out of every four visits were proactive, not disciplinary. This shift signals a growing culture of emotional coaching and support, rather than punishment.
Meanwhile, school counselors led over 400 targeted small-group sessions in areas like emotional regulation, frustration tolerance, and coping strategies. Students showed measurable growth including a 36% increase in their own ability to manage emotions while teachers noted improvements in focus, relationships, and classroom readiness.
Mental health access also surged. More than 70 students received individualized therapy on campus, totaling over 800 sessions. Services reached every age group, from pre-kindergarten to 12th grade confirming that wellness matters at every level of learning.
“Our team didn’t just talk about student well-being, they took bold action,” said Superintendent Jim Fry, “This is what it looks like to build systems that truly support kids, not just academically, but as human beings.”
Looking ahead, CPPS plans to grow these efforts even further. New assessment tools, expanded family engagement, and enhanced college and career readiness programming are already in motion for the coming year.
What’s happening in College Place Public Schools isn’t just progress, it’s transformation. With the numbers to prove it and the heart to keep going, CPPS is showing what it means to lead with care, connection, and purpose.