Evers visits Chippewa Falls, discusses mental health programming
CHIPPEWA FALLS — Gov. Tony Evers stopped by Chippewa Falls High School on Thursday, touring the Fab Lab and tech ed classrooms, hearing about plans to expand mental health programming, and even saw a performance by the school's wire choir.
'One of the reasons I was here was to hear their good work in mental health,' Evers said at the conclusion of a tour that lasted more than an hour. 'And they are doing a lot of good things here.'
Jamie Ganske, principal at the Chippewa Valley (alternative) High School and mental health & resiliency counselor, told Evers that the district partners with 30 agencies to provide mental health to students. She said the need climbed post-COVID and has remained at a high level.
'We are well over 5% of our students utilizing mental health services over the course of a school day,' Ganske told Evers.
The district received a five-year grant that helps pay for the Student and Family Assistance Program, she said.
Evers said his proposed budget includes a significant investment in mental health at schools, adding that he has seen support from Republicans for those programs.
'Clearly this has taken mental health to a different level, a higher level,' Evers said.
Evers added: 'I don't know if we'll be making things specific in the budget. My goal is to get as much money out the door to schools as possible.'
Evers said the tech education and Fab Lab classes and talked with the Skills USA students about the items they are making and the problem-solving examples they have learned.
Eric Andreo, a senior, said the laser printers and software allows students to make almost anything they can imagine.
'It teaches you about solving real-world problems,' Andreo told Evers. 'It's taught me a lot about engineering and what I want to go into.'
The Chi Hi Wire Choir, who are headed to state this weekend, also performed two songs for the governor, playing their orchestra instruments while dancing to '(I've Had) The Time of My Life' from the film 'Dirty Dancing.'
In some comments at the conclusion of the tour, Evers was asked about the state's policy if an ICE agent enters a state government building. Evers, a Democrat, contends that Republicans have overblown his policy. He said the goal is for each agency to make sure they have an attorney present for an encounter with an ICE agent.
'It's a legal process,' he said. 'We are not stopping ICE. We are just making sure our employees have an attorney with them.'
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