Salisbury Township SD presents 2023 youth‑survey results: declines in many substance‑use measures, vaping and suicide risk remain concerns

Salisbury Township School District officials on a recorded Zoom presentation summarized key findings from the 2023 Pennsylvania Youth Survey (PAYS), saying most substance‑use measures fell from 2021 to 2023 but that vaping and mental‑health risks require sustained attention.

Superintendent Lynn Feeney Hinton said the district received 470 valid surveys from grades 6–12, representing about a 92% participation rate for those grades, and placed those local results alongside data from the Carbon‑Lehigh Intermediate Unit (10,656 valid surveys) and the state (roughly 262,000 surveys). She said the statewide report is produced by the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD).

The elementary fourth‑grade pilot (103 respondents) showed high social‑emotional indicators: "84 percent of the elementary school students reported being happy within the past month," the presenter said, and "100% of the students felt that an adult at school cares about them," language used by the presenter to underscore high connectedness among the youngest respondents.

District presenters highlighted specific concerns identified in the PAYS results: about 35% of pilot respondents reported sleeping less than nine hours, 21.6% worried about food insecurity, and roughly 28% reported concern about family members' drug or alcohol use. District staff urged families experiencing food insecurity to connect with building social workers and said breakfast is free and averages about 100 students per day.

On substance use, Salisbury presenters reported decreases across several categories (alcohol, marijuana, inhalants and many measures of 30‑day use) between the 2021 and 2023 administrations and compared district rates to the national Monitor the Future (MTF) survey. Feeney Hinton highlighted a drop in self‑reported driving after marijuana use among twelfth graders from nearly 25% in 2021 to under 5% in 2023 and credited classroom instruction and local projects for part of that improvement.

Presenters said prevalence of hard‑drug use in the district is very low (under 1% across most grade spans) and noted slides reporting 0% for lifetime or 30‑day heroin and methamphetamine use in Salisbury.

Vaping was emphasized as a pressing issue. Presenters described electronic‑nicotine product use as "particularly concerning" and said self‑reported vaping rose in some grades; the slides included a large increase for tenth grade that presenters said warrants conversation and targeted prevention, and district staff called for family and school education on vaping risks.

On mental health, Mrs. Brennan summarized that many indicators improved relative to 2021 as students returned to in‑person school, but she also relayed suicide‑risk statistics the district viewed as alarming: "9.9 percent seriously considered suicide, 11 percent had suicidal thoughts, and 5 percent attempted suicide," she said, and added the district is continuing supports and check‑in processes for students.

The presentation also covered school climate and bullying. Across grade levels the majority of students reported they were not bullied in the past 20 months (often over 80%), while incidents that did occur were most frequently reported on school property or while traveling to and from school. Students most commonly perceived size/weight and appearance as reasons for bullying in middle grades.

As next steps, district leaders said building Student Assistance Program (SAP) teams will review the data to design interventions, staff will receive professional development to identify warning signs, and the district will coordinate with outside partners including Valley Youth House, the Center for Humanistic Change and the Weller Center for additional supports. Feeney Hinton said the district plans to administer the PAYS again in 2025 and will share the full PCCD report with the community.

The presentation concluded with thanks to staff and families and a reminder that the data are a tool to guide school and community responses rather than a final diagnosis of conditions.