Phoenix-Talent Schools Receive $497K Grant to Confront Opioid Crisis

Phoenix, Oregon- The Phoenix-Talent School District has been awarded nearly half a million dollars to launch new programs aimed at helping students and families grappling with the fallout of the opioid crisis.

The $497,598 grant comes from the Public School Districts’ Opioid Recovery Trust (PSDORT), which on Tuesday announced 51 awards to 39 school districts nationwide. The funding is intended to support schools on the front lines of the epidemic, where educators face overlapping challenges: students born with Neonatal Opioid Withdrawal Syndrome, children coping with addicted or deceased family members, and youth struggling with addiction themselves.

Phoenix-Talent will use its grant to launch Pathways to Recovery: Integrated School-Based Supports for Students and Families Impacted by the Opioid Crisis. The initiative combines on-site substance use and mental health counseling, expanded use of evidence-based screening tools, and improved coordination between schools and community-based services.

“These grant funds will help us bring hope and healing to students and families impacted by the opioid crisis, while also strengthening prevention efforts so future generations can recover, grow, and thrive,” Superintendent Brent Barry said.

Special Trustee Dr. Andres Alonso, who oversees the national trust, said the opioid epidemic has placed an “extraordinary burden” on public schools. “The volume, quality, and creativity of the school district applications we received reflect a powerful commitment to these students,” Alonso said. “The 51 projects we selected represent a diverse portfolio of promising initiatives.”

The trust was created following national opioid litigation resolutions with McKinsey & Company, Endo International PLC, and Mallinckrodt PLC. It directs resources toward districts most affected by the epidemic, ensuring funds support special education, mental health, and recovery services.

Phoenix-Talent serves 2,274 students across seven schools in Jackson County, where all students qualify for free or reduced lunch and more than 40% of the student body identifies as Hispanic or Latino. The district says the new funding will help ensure students have confidential, campus-based access to support and no child falls through the cracks.