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…