Board votes to discontinue Pennsylvania Youth Survey, members cite age and question concerns

At the meeting, several board members scrutinized the Pennsylvania Youth Survey (PAYS), raising concerns about the questionnaire’s length (one director said it contains 222 questions), the appropriateness of certain items for younger students, and the usefulness of anonymous results when students cannot be identified for intervention.

Director [S6] argued some questions are suggestive and developmentally inappropriate for sixth graders and said the survey’s framing could produce misleading responses. Other directors echoed that the survey’s family‑attitude and sensitive mental‑health questions are particularly concerning for younger students. Administrators (S5 and S14) told the board that parental opt‑in participation had been low (approximately 12% return of permission forms across the participating grades) and that survey data are one input among district data sets the administration uses to identify issues such as vaping and bullying.

After discussion, a board member moved to discontinue district participation in the PAYS; the motion was seconded and carried. Board members said they would pursue more tailored, shorter instruments aligned to local priorities (for example, focusing on vaping or bullying and administering at older grade levels), and asked administration to report back on alternatives.

No formal action was taken at the meeting to implement a replacement survey; the vote discontinues participation in the state PAYS instrument for the district going forward unless the board reconsiders the matter in a future meeting.