BOISE, Idaho — In June, the Boise School District (BSD) asked parents and staff to participate in a survey regarding several issues related to student well-being and mental health. The school district is now sharing what steps they are taking following the survey.
From June 3 - June 14, parents and staff were asked, "how strongly do you feel each of the following contributes to student well-being and creating a positive school culture of welcoming and belonging?"
The following were the topics addressed:
- Limiting cell phone and social media access during school hours
- Spending more time outdoors
- Suicide prevention programs
- Support groups for coping skills
- Later start times for junior/senior high school
- Mental health classroom lessons
Overall, 4,588 parents and 1,317 staff members responded to the survey. The district reviewed the feedback on the topics addressed over the summer.
Almost 81% of parents and 83% of staff said that limiting cell phone and social media access during school hours was very important to them.
Roughly 79% of parents and 63% of staff said that spending more time outdoors was very important.
Third on the list of importance to parents and staff was suicide prevention programs, with 62% of parents and 64% of staff saying it was very important.
The district has taken initiative on the issues, to "protect student well-being and improve student success," an email to parents said.
Cell phones are the hot topic for many parents and staff, so the district enacted some policy change in response to this survey.
Cell phone restrictions are now in place at all junior and senior high schools during school and classroom hours and results will be reviewed at the end of the semester to see if a district-wide policy is needed. The district adds that social media access on district devices is limited to YouTube and LinkedIn.
As for spending more time outdoors, BSD reminds parents that there are district-wide Green Teams, helping students practice sustainability. An Outdoor Learning Guide is now in draft form, BSD said, with all schools soon having access to information that fosters outdoor learning. Boise Schools Tree Quest is another program that will foster outdoor learning. BSD school Green Teams, supported by the City of Boise's Forestry Department, will have access to tree planting and care goals curriculum.
Suicide prevention is another issue that is of concern to district parents and staff. There will be three initiatives implemented this school year.
The Hope Squad is a peer-to-peer suicide prevention program being offered as an elective course at every junior, all four high schools and Boise Online School. In addition to Hope Squad, there will also be a ‘signs of suicide' curriculum. For all junior and senior high students will receive a lesson on this during the week of Sept. 9, BSD said.
There will also be a Chalk-the-Walk initiative. A series of high-visibility events will raise awareness around suicide and will have special guests from Boise State University.
BSD thanked the thousands of respondents of the survey, as BSD gained "valuable insight into the priorities our community places in key areas of our students' well-being and mental health."