Chatham district reports mostly stable wellness results but flags eating-disorder indicators, suicide risk

At a School District of the Chathams Board of Education meeting, district staff reviewed results from a February 2025 student wellness survey and described both stable measures and areas of concern, including restrictive eating behaviors, use of caffeine to stay awake, and gambling activity in games and apps.

The presentation, led by Kate DeSantis, supervisor of student health and well-being, and Blair Rosenthal, assistant superintendent for student support services, reported 1,590 student responses in February 2025 compared with 1,677 in 2023 and said 272 students opted out of the survey (135 at the high school and 137 at the middle school). Rosenthal said 87.7 percent of students said they feel connected to at least one adult at school, above a cited national average of about 79 percent.

Why it matters: district leaders said student mental health affects learning and classroom engagement and that the survey results guide programming and staff training. Presenters tied the data to on-campus supports and outside partnerships used to identify and assist students at risk.

Survey findings and district response DeSantis and Rosenthal summarized national context (for example,…