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Student safety advisory committee reports preliminary findings: bullying, vaping and mental‑health support top concerns
Summary
The Student Safety and Well‑Being Advisory Committee reported data collection, a community survey and preliminary findings that highlight bullying (including social‑media dynamics), rising vaping incidents, a shortage of school psychologists and need for a centralized public resource hub; the committee plans a final report with recommendations and an implementation tracking mechanism.
The Student Safety and Well‑Being Advisory Committee gave commissioners a progress update on Aug. 26, outlining its data‑driven process and preliminary recommendations on school safety, discipline and student supports.
Pastor Dana Jones, the committee chair, said the body was formed by a May 2024 resolution and has met 10 times with three public input sessions. Jones described five subcommittees focused on safe and supportive environments, staff support, positive student behavior, modern facilities and family/community engagement. He said the group emphasized collecting multiple data points and that community survey results aligned with issues heard in the committee’s meetings.
A notable data point the committee shared: "63 percent of the students who filled out the student survey said that they they've been bored," Jones said, reflecting student engagement as a metric the committee will consider alongside bullying, vaping and mental‑health supports. Committee members noted a district‑wide uptick in vaping reports and said schools are piloting detection sensors in some restrooms.
The committee also flagged challenges with school‑discipline coordination and juvenile services (DJS); members asked for a public presentation from DJS to clarify current policies and limits. The committee reported staffing gaps in school psychologists (approximately 40 percent of psychologist positions filled as of the recent update) and recommended exploring alternative staffing models and a centralized public hub for safety and wellness resources. The committee plans a final report with recommendations, and requested that the commission coordinate a joint meeting with the school system and other partners when the report is ready.
Past next steps: the committee will present survey results, invite additional community partners to provide data and draft recommendations, then deliver a final report with an implementation tracking proposal to the commissioners.
