$256,000 grant to support Moore's tragedy response

A memorial is set up on Main Street where a pickup struck Moore High School students Feb. 3. Three students died from their injuries, and four more were injured. [DOUG HOKE/ THE OKLAHOMAN]

Moore Public Schools, a district grappling with tragedy, received more than $ 256,000 to surr o u n d s t u d e n t s wi t h mental health support.

The U.S. Department of Education awarded Moore with a Proj e c t S c h o o l E m e r g e n c y Response t o Violence grant. The federal grant is intended to help schools and institutes of higher education recover from a violent or traumatic event.

The district applied for the grant to aid its ongoing recovery from a vehicle crash that killed t h r e e s t u d e n t s n e a r Moore High School. A speeding pickup driver struck a group of cross country and track athl e t e s r u n n i n g o n a sidewalk near the school on Feb. 3.

Rachel Freeman, 17; Yuridia Martinez, 1 6; and Kolby Crum, 18, died from their injuries. Four other students were hurt.

About 1 2 5 s t u d e n t s wi t n e s s e d t h e c r a s h . The driver, Max Leroy Townsend, is set for trial on 1 0 f el ony charges, including three counts of second-degree murder. Investigators reported Townsend, 57, of Tuttle, was intoxicated behind the wheel.

The tragedy wasn't the first to impact Moore. S e v e n c h i l d r e n we r e killed at Plaza Towers Elementary when a tornado struck the school on May 20, 2013.

The $ 256,000 grant will provide 30 therapists and school counselors to give crisis intervention to students and school employees through May 2021. The funds support ongoing therapy for students, staff and teachers and t r auma- i nformed care training for all school counselors in the district.

M o o r e s c h o o l s reopened Thursday with i n- person and vi r t ual classes.