Bellevue Students, Parents, Families, Community Members, and Staff:
With the recent news of two students in our community receiving life-saving treatment by the Bellevue Fire Department for pills believed to have been fentanyl or laced with fentanyl, I send you this message to create more awareness about this deadly substance.
First, we are thankful both students received timely, successful medical treatment. We are also thankful for our first responders.
While honoring the privacy of those students and families directly impacted, I feel compelled to continue to speak to our community on this subject. We cannot remain silent when ensuring the well-being and safety of our students.
We will continue to partner with the Bellevue Police Department and Youth Eastside Services, who provide drug and alcohol counselors in all middle and high schools, to ensure a safe and bright future for our children.
We will also continue the good work that is happening every day in schools across the district, including:
- Teaching drug and alcohol use prevention units in middle and high school health classes.
- Training all counselors, nurses and principals to recognize signs of drug and alcohol abuse and how to help.
- Posting the Fentanyl Warning Poster created by King County Department of Public Health in all high schools.
Parents and families in immediate crisis can do the following:
- Call Crisis Connections at 866-427-4747. This line is available 24-hours a day and provides helpful resources and support for people in need.
- Contact your student’s school nurse, counselor, or the school’s drug and alcohol counseling specialist if you have further questions.
I also encourage families to sit down with their children, watch a the video of our fentanyl education session, and have an open and frank discussion.
In partnership,
Ivan Duran
Superintendent
Bellevue School District