Statement from Ponca City Public Schools regarding recent events

The Ponca City School community is deeply saddened by the recent loss of two of our students. The safety and well-being of our students is our primary and utmost concern.

On Wednesday, school officials, several representatives from local support agencies, the Ponca City Police Department, and members of the clergy met with a Suicide Prevention Expert from the Oklahoma State Department of Mental Health.

We have a structured plan and support from experts to navigate us through this fragile time.

Recovery from any kind of traumatic death is difficult; bear with us as we support our students, staff, families, and community who have been left behind. We are leaning on our experts to guide our school family toward recovery and to brightening the future of hope for our students.

It is important to realize that intentional death is multi-determined. There is always more than one reason why a person takes their own life and it is critical to not speculate the motive for the sake of the families and others.

I would like to thank our entire community who have wrapped us in their thoughts and prayers. It truly takes a loving and supportive team to come together to make a positive impact on our youth.

If any family is in need of resources, call 211 or The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255.