WATERFORD — Wolf Creek Local Schools has become the latest Washington County school district to engage Life and Purpose Services to help its students.

Superintendent Doug Baldwin told the board of education at its regular meeting Monday night that the mental health services provider is available to assist Wolf Creek students referred for counseling.

“They’ve just hired another therapist,” Baldwin said. “They’re already working with some of our students, they’re already clients, but now we have someone we can refer students to, at no cost to the district.”

Marietta and Belpre city schools, Warren and Fort Frye local schools already have agreements with L&P, under which the agency provides a full-time mental health professional to work in schools. Baldwin said the Wolf Creek arrangement with L&P is less formal than that but the option for referral will be valuable.

“Our students’ needs have changed dramatically over the past two or three years, and there is more and more need for this kind of counseling,” he said. “We’d also open our doors to any other agency. Hopewell (Health Centers) already comes here. Their new center in Barlow, Reach, is a very nice program.”

In other business, the board:

Heard presentations from principals Suellen Coleman of Waterford High School and Jana Thomas of Waterford Elementary on coming events, including the annual Christmas program coming Monday.

Set 6:30 p.m. Jan. 7 for the annual organizational meeting to elect board officers, and chose Hugh Arnold as president pro-tem until the election is held.

Agreed to a schedule of regular meetings starting at 6:30 p.m. on the second Monday of every month in 2019, with the exception of June and November, when the meeting will be held on the third Monday.

The board’s next regular meeting will be Jan. 7, following the organizational meeting.