Leander High School student dies from suspected fentanyl poisoning

A Central Texas school district is mourning the loss of a student who died of a suspected fentanyl poisoning. The student from Leander High School, located about 40 miles north of Austin, died on Saturday, December 16, according to a letter to families. 

The Williamson County Sheriff’s Office posted a statement about the “heartbreaking loss” on Facebook, adding that the incident “further sheds light on the presence of dangerous substances within our communities and schools.” A KVUE report confirmed that the student was in eleventh grade at Leander High School. This is the latest of several young lives lost to fentanyl-related exposure in Central Texas.

Counselors and social workers will be available to assist any student in need on December 18 and 19, according to a Leander High School letter to families.

“This devastating incident serves as a poignant reminder that the specter of drugs looms not only on the outskirts of our neighborhoods but permeates through the hallways of our educational institutions,” the WCSO statement said. “In the face of this tragedy, we are compelled to rally together as a community to take decisive action in educating our students about the inherent dangers and working collaboratively to ensure their safety.”

In response to the student’s tragic death, officials with the sheriff’s office added that they are actively working with the Williamson County Overdose Task Force to fight the spread of dangerous substances in the community. The task force consists of local organizations, including Texas Against Fentanyl, Bluebonnet Trails Community Services, Drug Enforcement Agency and Rise Recovery Services.

“As a community, we are called upon to unite against the pervasive threat of drugs, to honor the memory of the lives we have lost, and to prevent further senseless losses,” the WCSO said in the statement. “It is our collective responsibility to foster an environment that prioritizes education, open communication, and support for those in need.”