In the wake of a series of teenage suicides by train the past year, the Palo Alto Unified School District is getting a $50,000 grant from the federal government to enhance its mental health services for students.

The U.S. Department of Education announced Wednesday that Palo Alto was among three districts selected to receive "Project School Emergency Response to Violence" (SERV) grants. The grants go to districts that have experienced a traumatic event and need money to "respond to the event and re-establish a safe learning environment," according to an education department statement.

"Within the last nine months, the Palo Alto, Calif., community has been tragically impacted by four youth suicides," the statement says. "Even though the district has provided counseling and other services to its students, it still faces numerous challenges in responding to students' needs and requests for mental health services."

In applying for the grant, the district said it would use the funds to hire someone to screen and coordinate therapists and psychiatrists. Funds also could be used for grief counseling, a peer support program, targeted depression screening for students, suicide awareness training for teachers, or to create a Web site about suicide intervention for parents, students and school staff.

This fiscal year, Project SERV has distributed more than $1.1 million in grants. Along with Palo Alto, grants to