CARTERET COUNTY, N.C. -- Schools in Carteret County are planning to teach more than the usual reading, writing and math this school year.

• Mental health and the opioid crisis will be covered in Carteret County schools
• Topics primarily taught to students from seventh to 12th grade
• The administration is partnering with local law enforcement and Trillium Health Resources

The administration plans to weave the opioid crisis and mental health into the students' curriculum.

"Those two items, mental health and the opioid crisis, really impact our classrooms. It’s hard for our students to come to school and focus on reading, writing, arithmetic when things are not going well in the home, or perhaps even with themselves," superintendent Mat Bottoms said.

The topics will primarily be taught to students from seventh through 12th grade. The school is also partnering with local law enforcement and Trillium Health Resources to provide extra staffing to screen students for mental health concerns. The school trained teachers over the summer to identify the signs of a potentially suicidal student and how to respond.

Bottoms said if parents are struggling to provide the resources their child may need, they are welcome to contact the school for assistance.