Waterloo Local plans safety and wellness programs, applies for teletherapy pilot and rolls out statewide youth survey

District administrators told the board they will host a free "International Save-A-Life" program with driving simulators for grades 9–12 (and ninth-graders included this year) and thanked staff coordinating the event. "They bring in driving simulators…we're going to try and put them in here," Tyler said, noting pre-survey and in-class video preparation.

Tyler also reported the district submitted a bid to participate in a Hazel Health teletherapy pilot, described as a state initiative with no cost to the district. "There's no guarantee that we'll be part of the pilot program," he said. The superintendent and board noted that Hazel Health works with many districts and that participation would expand access to mental-health resources.

Administrators further described plans to administer the Ohio Healthy Youth Environment Survey (statewide) to collect anonymous student responses on sensitive topics — including substance use, injuries and mental health — with parental opt-out and the option for students to skip questions. The stated purpose is to obtain local, actionable data to target services when trends (for example, substance misuse) are identified.

Why it matters: The programs and surveys aim to reduce risky behavior, provide supports to students and inform programmatic decisions. Board members were told that Hazel Health participation is not yet guaranteed and that parents will receive information and an opt-out option for the survey.

No formal action was taken to require participation beyond the described pilot bid and planned survey; board members asked staff to provide more detail if and when the district is accepted into external pilot programs.