Rockport committee reviews Youth Health Survey: mental-health concerns, vaping remain high

The Rockport School Committee on Oct. 13 reviewed findings from the Youth Health Survey administered in spring 2024, which showed elevated mental-health concerns among high-school students and continued substance-use signals in older grades.

Committee members and presenters said the data show 56% of high-school respondents indicated their mental health was not good (grouping responses sometimes, most of the time or always), down from 67% in 2022, while middle-school reports rose slightly from 47% to 52%. Chelsea Goldstein Walsh, regional prevention director with the Gloucester Health Department, said local and regional patterns mirror statewide disparities and that subgroup reporting is limited by confidentiality rules when counts are under 10.

The committee was cautioned to interpret year-to-year changes carefully because the 2024 survey excluded sixth graders (a change from 2022) and some grades had unusually low participation due to field trips; presenters and the school leadership said those sampling differences can make percentages appear to climb or fall even when underlying behavior is stable. "There are disparities in gender as well as race, ethnicity and sexual orientation," Chelsea Goldstein Walsh said, noting that the public-health contractor suppresses small cell counts to protect student confidentiality.

On safety and bullying, presenters noted 78% of high-school students reported feeling safe in school (up from 73% in 2022) and that 11% of high-school students said they were bullied on school property in the past 12 months; middle-school bullying reports decreased from about 23% to 19%. Committee members emphasized the difference between studentsperceptions and legal definitions of bullying and said they will cross-check survey perceptions with investigation records.

Substance-use items showed expected grade-related increases: approximately 43% of high-school respondents reported any alcohol use in the past 30 days (down slightly from 45% in 2022), while 23% reported using electronic vaping devices in the past 30 days. Committee members discussed shifting from punitive approaches toward education and restorative supports and noted that detectors and targeted programming may help identify students who need assistance.

Committee members asked for more granular follow-up from the survey contractor (John Snow Inc.) on overlaps such as which students reported both in-person and electronic bullying and whether more-detailed mental-health frequency breakdowns could be produced. Presenters said such follow-up is possible and encouraged the committee to request calibration analyses to better understand the findings.

The committee and presenters emphasized using the survey as one of multiple data points, combining it with discipline and investigation data and student focus groups, and involving students in interpretation. The district plans to use the report to guide programming, grant applications and curriculum alignment with new health- and wellness-standards. The committee did not take a formal vote on policy changes at the meeting; members said next steps include targeted outreach, staff training and using advisory time and assemblies to review results with students.