In the lead-up to the school year, student performance and mental health was the primary issue of concern for the Washington Community School Board. Programs like the Washington Regional Alternative Program (WRAP) and Navigating Emotions and Stress Through Teaching (NESTT) were discussed at length about their value to the school district. In the WRAP program, 140 of the 142 credits attempted by the students were completed last year, with 85% of those credits being passing grades. Last year, the Grace C. Mae Advocate Center in Washington also serviced 183 students across the district.

Willie Stone, the Superintendent of Washington Community Schools, spoke with KCII about his five-year plan to create a better learning environment for students. “We are going to work on our strategic plan, and we already have our mission and vision in place. We have to work with our staff, community, and parents to create whole students, which include academics and mental health, and figure out what steps we have to take in five years to reach our goals.”

Teressa Beenblossom, the Principal of Washington High School, has repeatedly mentioned that she wants to create a stronger sense of school spirit to try and curtail possible behavior issues. At Lincoln Upper Elementary School, 71% of students placed in the behavior intervention plan were phased off the plan due to meeting their goals, and 60% decreased the number of office referrals per trimester.