Waunakee board hears county youth assessment showing rising vaping, anxiety and large treatment gaps

At the February meeting of the Waunakee Community School District Board of Education, the curriculum committee summarized results from the Dane County Youth Assessment and district social workers described rising vaping and anxiety among middle- and high-school students and a large gap between students reporting symptoms and those receiving treatment.

The committee presentation said the assessment, administered every three years and delivered anonymously to middle- and high-school students, had participation of about 600 students at the middle school and about 570 at the high school. Presenters said alcohol use had remained steady compared with past cycles while tobacco, THC and vaping had increased since the 2021 survey; vaping will likely be the focus of the next grant cycle.

The social work team reported three recurring themes: anxiety and worry, suicidal ideation, and mental-health supports and treatment. "At the middle school more than a third of students feel like they're nervous or anxious often or always," the presenter said, and at the high school the figure was 45 percent. Presenters said only a small portion of those students are receiving services: roughly 13 percent of middle-school students with frequent anxiety and about 18 percent of high-school students were reported to be receiving treatment or strategies.

The district social workers, identified in the meeting as John Wilde and Jess Hickey, told the board that behaviors tied to anxiety often show up as class avoidance, extended absences and increased requests for accommodations such as 504 plans.

Why it matters: district staff said the prevalence of anxiety and suicidal ideation—even where percentages appear modest—translates to multiple students in need of support, and untreated mental-health needs affect attendance and learning.

District responses discussed at the meeting included exploring lower-intensity therapeutic options in elementary schools (adding psychotherapy center 1 and 2 options), expanding internal therapeutic placements to reduce out-of-district referrals, and targeting prevention work (including vaping education and access reduction) through the Community Cares Coalition. The district also discussed parent education efforts, citing Common Sense Media and the potential for newsletter tips and parent nights to help families manage device and social-media use.

Board members and staff noted that instructional screen time is not the same concern as around-the-clock access to social media; as Superintendent Dr. Kelsey Brown put it in the discussion, the district is more concerned about students never being unplugged from personal devices than instructional use of screens.

No formal motion or vote was recorded on interventions at the meeting; presenters said more detailed proposals and follow-up will be brought back to committees for consideration.

Ending: The board encouraged continued work by the curriculum committee and social work team and requested follow-up details on proposed elementary therapeutic options and outreach plans for parent education.