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Youth council survey at Oasis High finds split views on school mental‑health supports
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Summary
A Cape Coral Youth Council survey of 214 Oasis High School students found mixed responses on whether the school provides enough mental‑health support, with notable reports of stress, stigma and limited quiet spaces; presenters urged awareness and follow‑up with resources and wider outreach.
Claire Johnson, head of the Cape Coral Youth Council’s mental‑health project, told the Oasis Charter School Authority Governing Board on April 14 that students at Oasis High School provided candid, anonymized feedback in a short survey the youth council conducted.
Johnson said Oasis High (enrollment cited as 924) collected 214 responses over three weeks. ‘‘Out of the 214 responses, only 43 people felt as though they need support,’’ she said, and reported that answers were nearly split on whether the school provides enough support: ‘‘110 people saying no and 104 saying yes.’’ The presenters also reported 77 students said they had avoided getting help because they feared what others might think, and that 167 of 214 students leaned toward saying school had a negative impact on their mental health.
Johnson read anonymized open‑ended comments the survey captured: students described guidance counselors as ‘‘always busy,’’ a lack of quiet spaces to talk and fears of being stigmatized for seeking help. She said the survey was anonymous and that the youth council intentionally paired their questions with a county‑level instrument from Lee County Schools’ Safe Promise Clubs to allow broader, comparable data.
Superintendent Jackie Collins said the district and city partners had already received the results and praised the youth council for elevating student voices. ‘‘That’s the first step,’’ Collins said, urging the board to help amplify findings so students understand they are not alone.
Board members asked how the findings would be shared. Johnson said the youth council had shared the report with city council members and mental‑health professionals but had not distributed raw comments to the student body to protect anonymity. Several board members recommended synthesizing the results into a short awareness campaign and listing available resources rather than publishing verbatim responses.
Board members also asked about next steps. Johnson said the survey’s purpose was awareness and peer support and that she hoped to partner with schools and community resources to expand the project to more high schools. Collins said staff would provide a brief bullet list of available resources ahead of the next meeting so the board could consider follow‑up actions.
The presentation concluded with board praise for the students’ initiative; several members encouraged the youth council to ‘‘make it explode’’ by sharing findings in ways that protect anonymity while connecting students to counseling and peer supports.
The board did not take a formal vote on policy changes during the meeting; presenters and administrators said a more formal plan and expanded presentation will be discussed at future meetings.
