Santa Rita screens 246 fifth-graders; staff report 13% had suicidal thoughts in past year

Dr. Summer Prater Smith, the district’s director of engagement and school climate, told the Santa Rita Union School District board that the district administered a universal mental‑health screener to fifth graders and immediately followed up with students who screened in the moderate or high risk ranges.

"So again, keeping in mind, this is all fifth graders. So 246 fifth graders did the universal screener," Dr. Prater Smith said, reporting results and the district's response process. She said the screening prompted immediate check‑ins, parent contacts and, in four cases, referrals to a mobile crisis team.

Why it matters: The screening identified students who may need clinical or school‑based services early, district staff said. Board members said the results underscore the need for mental‑health resources and family outreach.

Dr. Prater Smith described how the district triages results: students who show “red” responses for self‑harm or imminent risk are pulled from class and evaluated immediately; students in the moderate range are reviewed by a team and may receive referrals or parent outreach. She said the district has school‑based mental‑health teams and that Harmony at Home provides bullying‑prevention coaches. Staff use the Columbia Lighthouse Suicide Risk Assessment when trained staff complete evaluations.

Key findings reported by Dr. Prater Smith (as presented to the board): 246 fifth‑grade students completed the screener; about 20 percent indicated they had engaged in self‑harm; about 13 percent reported having suicidal thoughts within the past year; about 4 percent reported they had "tried to kill themselves" at some point; 0.2 percent reported that their safety was at risk at the time of screening. She also said roughly 8 percent reported harassment or threats in the past year, 9 percent reported attempts to control weight, 4 percent said they had tried alcohol at least once or twice, 2 percent reported trying a vaping device, and 1 percent reported trying marijuana or tobacco in the past year.

Dr. Prater Smith said the district team immediately contacted families for any student in the moderate to high ranges, and that four students were referred to the mobile crisis team; those students were safety‑planned with parents and returned home with follow up services arranged by the district mental‑health team.

Board members and staff described how the district informed families in advance and allowed opt‑outs. Dr. Prater Smith said opt‑outs were rare — "very low percentage. I think it was about 2% of our students opted out." She said the district makes personalized follow‑up phone calls to families when forms are returned with opt‑outs so parents understand the screener and the supports available.

Trustee Neil Patel commented on the results: "The percentages were were very high. I mean, they were shocking," and said he appreciated that the district is treating mental health like physical health and expanding supports. Trustee Sarah Turner and others thanked the mental‑health team and noted the screening will be repeated as students advance; the district plans to administer screeners each year at the grade level noted (for example, again in sixth grade).

The district described steps after screening: immediate evaluations for students in the high range, team reviews for moderate responses, parent contacts, on‑site safety planning when needed, connections to community providers for substance‑use concerns, and referrals to the district’s bullying‑prevention coaches for students identified as targets or perpetrators of harassment.

Board members acknowledged the toll on staff conducting the screening and thanked mental‑health staff for their work and the supports in place.

Looking ahead: Dr. Prater Smith and board members said the district intends to continue annual screeners at the designated grade levels, to expand training (the district said staff, including after‑school personnel, have been trained on the Columbia Lighthouse tool) and to refine communications with families to maintain participation and timely follow up.