Superintendent Dr. Brian Huff addressed the national fentanyl epidemic at the Monday, Dec. 5 school board meeting.

“Unfortunately, it is a reality of our lives,” he said.

The district approved stocking Narcan to help student overdoses that might occur on district property.

Narcan is a prescribed nasal spray used to treat known opioid overdose emergencies, especially ones with breathing problems.

“It is something we worry about as parents,” Dr. Huff said. “We are deeply concerned and want to provide assistance.”

Lots of people are concerned about the crisis, he said, and they are partnering with Johnson County Mental Health for services.

“We would like to avoid the issue in the first place,” Dr. Huff said. “We can also partner with parents.”

Russ Ellis, board member, said he was also concerned about drug usage in schools and their district wasn’t alone.

“I would love to see us change the culture,” he said.

Ellis said he would suggest providing more education with guest speakers on the topic.

“I have had conversations with Dr. Huff,” he said. “And we do need to focus on this. I would like to see an SRO more active in patrolling bathrooms in schools. We need to change the culture-the problem is nationwide.”

Ellis said it looked like the school district wasn’t doing much to combat the problem, but they were working hard behind the scenes.