Rockport School Committee reviews youth health survey showing mental-health concerns

The Rockport School Committee on Oct. 13 reviewed a regional youth health survey presented by school staff and public-health partners that flagged mental-health concerns and other student well-being indicators.

A staff member presenting the report said, "56 percent of high school students reported that their mental health was not good sometimes, most of the time or always," down from 67 percent in 2022 but still a majority that the district said warrants attention. The presentation stressed the figures reflect self-reported, community-level data rather than clinical diagnoses and encouraged using the results to design supports and prevention programs.

Chelsea Goldstein Walsh, regional prevention director at the Gloucester Health Department, told the committee that disparities by gender, race and sexual orientation are common across communities and that the district can request more granular follow-up from the consulting firm if needed. "There are disparities in gender as well as race, ethnicity, and sexual orientation," she said, noting that survey vendors suppress small-cell results to protect student confidentiality.

Committee members emphasized translating survey results into classroom and counseling supports. The superintendent and presenters urged cross-referencing survey responses with discipline and counseling records, using advisory time and assemblies to discuss findings with students, and seeking targeted grants and community partnerships to expand services.

The committee did not vote on policy changes based on the survey at the meeting but tasked staff and partners with follow-up analyses and plans to brief the committee again once they have more detailed breakdowns and proposals for intervention.