By George Lee, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Extra funding announced today recognizes the complexity and regional diversity of mental health needs in Alberta’s schools, Education Minister Demetrios Nicolaides said. The top-up of the Mental Health in Schools Pilot adds $6.7 million to a round of funding set to end in December. Affected are programs in 59 rural and urban school authorities. “The main purpose here is that we recognize that mental health is a top priority for many students and that we need to do as much as we can to help support students’ mental health,” Nicolaides said in a Local Journalism Initiative interview for rural Alberta publications. “So we are really happy to be in a position to provide some new investment to keep these programs operating a little…