Mayoral candidate and mayor describe new school supports and a city task force to address bullying and student mental health
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Summary
At the forum Mayor Ted Bettencourt described a four‑part effort the city is advancing to address bullying and student mental health that includes a new Higgins Middle School resource center with three full‑time counselors, a behavioral assessment team and state‑level advocacy.
Mayor Ted Bettencourt said Peabody is launching multiple steps to respond to bullying and student mental health concerns, including a new support center at Higgins Middle School and an expanded set of multidisciplinary teams and city task forces.
Why it matters: schools and student mental health policies shape discipline, counseling availability and safety in classrooms; candidate comments signaled an emphasis on local resources plus outreach to state policymakers.
Bettencourt described a “four‑point plan” he and partners have been developing and said the city is preparing to open a Higgins Middle School student resource and support center. "We're opening up the new Higgins Middle School student resource and support center. That is gonna provide 3 full time counselors at all times at the middle school for drop ins, for regular appointments," he said.
He also outlined a planned behavioral assessment team to meet weekly and review bullying cases; he described the group as "2 teachers, 2 administrators, a guidance counselor, a nurse, and a police officer" who will meet weekly to review cases and develop action plans. He said the city has formed a separate city task force and is pressing for state‑level changes to allow schools and districts greater options for discipline and prevention.
Bettencourt argued that current state rules limit how schools can treat bullying incidents and that the city should advocate for broader remedies: "Right now, bullying is not a recognized way to suspend or expel a student... I think bullying has to be looked at because that can cause just as much damage as drug dealing, as physical assault."
Rochelle Agneta, the challenger at the forum, said she supported greater parent involvement and clearer protocols for reporting and responding to bullying. She told the audience the city needs clearer information flows for parents: "I believe there should be a protocol list that parents know about when you report it, where it goes to, how it's reported, and where it goes from there."
The forum did not produce new local regulations; officials described operational additions (the support center and the behavioral assessment team) and advocacy plans for state policy changes. The mayor gave a tentative opening date for the Higgins center as the city plans a ribbon cutting.
