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Board hears SHARP youth‑survey and sharps program update amid concerns about misinformation
Summary
Public‑health staff reported lower SHARP survey participation in some grades and districts after misinformation campaigns; staff urged sustained outreach, better superintendent engagement and revisiting survey administration to improve participation and data usability.
Pamela briefed the Board on the county's SHARP youth survey and the sharps program, telling members that statewide misinformation campaigns reduced participation in some districts and grades, particularly among older students. "There was a great ... campaign against the Sharps Survey down in Salt Lake," she said, noting some parents worried survey questions would prompt self‑harm or intrusive content.
Pamela said participation thresholds matter: the SHARP administrators aim for roughly 60% response to be able to use school‑ or grade‑level estimates; multiple board members observed twelfth‑grade participation in one area was well below that level. Pamela described outreach already provided to Park City schools, presentations to administrators and counselors, and use of school counselors in some districts to collect paper permissions when digital response was a barrier.
Board discussion emphasized the need to reengage superintendents, consult with school counselors who use the data, and consider ways to incentivize participation where allowed. Staff agreed to return with a fuller survey report in November and to continue outreach in the interim.
