Calvert County advisory panel cites rising depression, vaping and chronic absenteeism; urges districtwide supports

The Calvert County Student Safety and Well‑being Advisory Committee presented third‑quarter findings at a public input session, reporting a rise in depression and suicidal thoughts among female students, ongoing youth vaping, and high chronic absenteeism for economically disadvantaged students. Committee members recommended a districtwide multi‑tiered system of supports, more mental‑health staffing and training, expanded restorative practices and mentoring, and clearer budget reporting for school‑safety spending.

The committee’s staff liaison, Emily Shreeves, summarized subcommittee reports and said presenters from the Calvert County Health Department and Calvert County Public Schools (CCPS) highlighted three main concerns: increased depression and suicidal thoughts among students (particularly females), persistent youth access to vaping products, and staffing strains for school‑based mental‑health providers. Committee materials cited roughly 13 to 14 therapists serving the school system, with some therapists covering multiple schools and carrying large caseloads, and recommended looking “at what we’re doing at the elementary school level” to expand early intervention.

Subcommittees reported specific data points used to shape recommendations. The safe‑and‑supportive environment presentation noted that students eligible for free and reduced‑price meals attended at an average rate of 89 percent versus 91 percent for all students; economically disadvantaged students had a chronic absenteeism rate of 45.5 percent compared with 26.9 percent for students with disabilities and 37.2 percent for English language learners. Panorama survey data showed about 55 percent of students reported confidence in their ability to regulate emotions. A law‑enforcement presentation cited that male juveniles account for 57 percent of serious juvenile interactions and gave a racial breakdown of those interactions as roughly 55 percent white, 31 percent Black and 8 percent Hispanic.

Presenters and committee members emphasized that recent changes in Maryland juvenile law limit some traditional school and court interventions for younger children. Materials summarized the legal shift as imposing new restrictions on arrest and intervention for children, including a provision noted in the session that no one can be arrested under age 10 and that options are limited for those aged 10–14; the committee said this increases the importance of early, noncriminal interventions. The committee noted the Department of Juvenile Services as a central actor under the revised law.

Recommendations from the committee and subcommittees included: - Consider adopting a districtwide multi‑tiered system of supports (MTSS) aligned to neuroscience and whole‑child approaches and revise the student code of conduct to include age‑appropriate restorative language. - Expand student and family engagement, countywide mentoring programs, and restorative justice practices; invite student groups for testimony and feedback in future sessions. - Increase staff training in de‑escalation and crisis response and evaluate use of apps such as Prosper to monitor student (and potentially staff) well‑being. - Consider creation of a safety‑advocate position at the elementary‑school level (a role referenced in presentations by CCPS staff) and pursue hiring additional psychologists and social workers where vacancies exist. - Improve coordination with law enforcement and clarify staffing of school resource officers (SROs); address potential overcrowding and resourcing gaps in alternative education programs. - Improve budget transparency for school‑safety spending; reviewers found school‑safety grants in FY21–FY25 but little or no separate operating‑budget line items that make school‑safety expenditures easy to track.

Committee members and presenters also raised service‑delivery concerns: multiple presenters described delays in placement for mental‑health or substance‑use treatment for youth and an overall behavioral‑health workforce shortage. The committee recommended additional research into discipline data, mentoring outcomes, and the life cycle of risk assessment and diversion opportunities so recommendations can be refined with outcome measures.

The committee encouraged public participation in its community survey and scheduled a data‑assessment working session in July to review presentations and identify gaps; staff will present survey findings at a future meeting. The committee noted its next regular meeting is scheduled for July 16 at 2 p.m. at the Brown Center.

The session included routine procedural motions to approve the agenda and to adjourn; no policy votes or ordinance actions were taken at the session.