Rebecca Kilburn, a researcher with the University of New Mexico, presented 2023 Youth Risk Survey (YRS) results for Central Consolidated Schools on behalf of a UNM team and tribal partners.

The presentation showed higher-than-average participation in the district (about 67% middle school, 71% high school) and statistical differences from state figures in both positive and concerning areas, including lower rates of texting while driving and early alcohol initiation, and higher rates of any tobacco use and overweight/obesity.

Kilburn told the school board the statewide YRS is conducted every two years and that the UNM team and collaborators — including the Navajo Nation Health Education Program and the Shiprock Health Education Office — deliver district-specific reports to superintendents for local planning. "The YRS is conducted every other year and it's a survey of middle school and high school students," Kilburn said. She said the district report is only available with the superintendent's permission and that individual student responses remain anonymous.

The presentation, supported by local health educators, included these district-specific findings: nearly 700 middle school respondents and about 964 high school respondents participated from the district; the district’s middle-school response rate (67%) exceeded the state middle-school response rate (60%), and the district’s high-school response rate (71%) exceeded the state (56%). Kilburn noted Central Consolidated had statistically significantly lower rates than the state on several measures — fewer students texting while driving, fewer high-school students skipping school because of safety concerns, fewer students reporting unfair treatment because of race or ethnicity, lower rates of drinking before age 13 (about 12% vs. 16% statewide) and essentially no reports of high-intensity drinking (10+ drinks on an occasion) compared with about 2% statewide.

At the same time, presenters flagged higher rates of any tobacco use — with vaping identified as the primary driver — and a higher share of students who are overweight or obese than the state average. Kilburn emphasized that most of the roughly 100 high-school questions and 80 middle-school questions did not show statistical differences from the state; she highlighted only those areas that were statistically different.

Board members asked about survey administration, privacy, and consent. Kilburn explained the district-level process: the district superintendent must approve participation; principals must agree; parents receive passive consent forms (they must sign only to opt out); students can decline participation or skip individual questions; and the survey is anonymous. "No one actually gets data on individual students," Kilburn said, explaining that teachers receive information about which students are not to take the survey but not about individual responses. A Navajo Nation health educator added the team follows a classroom script and that collected responses are anonymous bubble-sheet forms filled out in one classroom session.

Presenters also described uses of the data: school planning, student STEM and public health projects, nonprofit grant applications, state and county reports, and trend monitoring (Kilburn noted the YRS was an early source identifying vaping as a growing student health issue). She told the board the UNM team will include a fentanyl question on the 2025 questionnaire in response to statewide requests.

Board members and presenters discussed local health services and referrals. A Navajo Nation staff member said there is a behavioral health treatment center in Shiprock and that Indian Health Service (IHS) provides mental-health services, with referrals handled on a case-by-case basis, often through patient-referred care.

The presenters directed board members to youthrisk.org for county reports, district publications (available only with superintendent permission), and sample parent communication packages the district can send before the 2025 administration so parents can review questions and opt their children out if they choose.

The board did not take any formal action on the presentation; presenters said they would return with information about the 2025 administration schedule and could provide the district report to the superintendent.

For further details, the YRS team recommended district staff and the board review the full district report (delivered to the superintendent), the county reports on youthrisk.org, and the YRS parent communication materials for the next administration.