Several residents used the public‑comment period at the MSAD 52 board meeting to voice concerns about the Maine Integrated Youth Health Survey and to ask the district to treat participation as opt‑in rather than opt‑out for middle‑school students.

An unnamed parent spoke early in public comment to express worry over a student survey that included questions about sexual topics and drug use asked of fifth‑ and sixth‑grade students; the parent said they did not believe such questions are appropriate for that age and worried parents might not know their child received the survey. The speaker said: “I don't think the school is the right environment for other people's kids to bring that stuff up” and asked whether the survey content follows district policy.

Allen Sarvinas, identified as director and organizer for Parents’ Rights in Education Maine, urged the board to consider an opt‑in policy for the Maine Integrated Youth Health Survey. Sarvinas said his group finds the survey’s wording troubling: he reported that the 2025 instrument used the words "gender" seven times and a sexual term 16 times (transcript used partial redaction). He recommended the district hold a separate presentation by an organization independent of the Maine Health and Human Services funding sources so parents could review question content before the survey is administered.

Board members did not take immediate action during the meeting but the public comments placed the issue on record and were forwarded to staff for follow‑up.

Why it matters: questions about student health surveys raise privacy and parental‑consent considerations. The district’s public comment record will inform any staff recommendations on whether to change the survey distribution model and whether to provide additional parent briefings.

Next steps: staff to track the public comments and, if appropriate, provide the board with options for survey administration (opt‑in vs opt‑out) and possible third‑party review of the survey questions.