Survey: Overall Student Mental Health Improved, Some Groups Fall Behind

Results from the latest Youth Risk Behavior Survey suggest that Burlington middle and high school students are showing positive health and safety trends in a number of areas, including declines in substance use, improvements in safety and protective factors like sleep and connectedness, and decreases in bullying and student mental health issues like depression when compared to past numbers and district averages. Self harm behaviors reported by students at both the middle school and high school have decreased by over 50% compared to previous surveys.

However, LGTBQ+ students and students of color lag behind heterosexual and white students in many categories, with many reporting they don’t have a trusted adult outside of school or a peer to talk to and that they struggle more with their mental health. In addition, Hispanic/Latinx students report lower rates of involvement in extracurriculars than other student groups.

More than 86% of middle schoolers and around 75% of high schoolers were surveyed; here are some notable results:

Middle Schoolers

• Overall 66% of middle schoolers engaged in an hour of physical activity at least five days in the past week. 60% ate breakfast on at least six of the days. Fifty-eight percent of middle schoolers engaged in over 3 hours of screen time, down from 66% last time. 81% of middle schoolers report participating in extracurriculars.
• 8th graders are less likely to eat breakfast.
• While still not great, middle schoolers’ sleep patterns have improved, with 56% getting eight plus hours, though 8th graders in particular are less likely to eat breakfast.
• LGTBQ+ students are less likely (48%) than their heterosexual counterparts (60%) to have an adult outside of school to talk to.
• Thirty-one percent of middle schoolers report that their mental health was not good sometimes, most of the time, or always in the past 30 days. LGTBQ+ students, female students and 8th grade students all showed a higher risk for poor mental health.
• Rates of lifetime and current substance use for middle schoolers across all substances are lower than in 2021 and have continued a downward trend since 2017, trending lower than the district and state averages.
• Queer students are less likely to engage in physical activity and less likely to eat breakfast.

High Schoolers

• Forty-seven percent of high school students report that their mental health was not good sometimes, most of the time or always in the past 30 days; LGBTQ+ and genderqueer students, female students and grade 11 students all showed higher risk.
• At more than 10%, lifetime substance abuse rates are higher for LGBTQ+/nonbinary students than cis/heterosexual students for vaping, marijuana, prescription drug misuse and cigarettes.
• Bullying has decreased at the high school since 2017 and is below the district average, though nonbinary or genderqueer highschoolers are less likely to have a peer to talk to about a problem than cisgender students and Black students report lower adult and peer connectedness than other subgroups.
• Stress and anxiety are affecting more highschoolers than depression or sadness, 31% vs 19%.
• Most of the sexual behaviors measured in the survey indicate being lower than the district average.
• Those who indicated that they had depression or suicidal ideation are also more likely to have been bullied, less likely to have adult support and less likely to sleep at least 8 hours.

Recommendations that came out of the survey were a focus on teaching students about healthy habits starting in 7th grade, ensuring a welcoming environment for all students in sports and extracurricular activities, giving students more opportunities to share their voice, and working with the DEI Instructional Coach at the high school (whose hiring hasn't yet been announced) to support populations deemed at risk.

Also at School Committee:

• Students, teachers, and parents were present in force for what amounted to a full hour of public participation.
  • In advance of the evening’s executive session to discuss the teachers’ union contract, teachers advocated for a contract that includes early release days once weekly, a longer school day on other days, and control over their flex time. According to those who spoke, the proposed contract from the district includes using teacher flex time for meetings, trainings, and other district-mandated uses. Teachers stated and restated that they will not vote for a contract that allows the district to control their school day outside of their teaching hours–time that is used to plan lessons, communicate with parents, create lesson materials, and much more. They also pointed out that Burlington begins earlier and ends later than nearby districts, owing in large part to the built-in professional development days that are scattered throughout the year.
  • Students and parents were present both online and in the room to advocate for the high school music program, after news began circulating that following the departure of middle school music teacher Liam Bryant, beloved high school music teacher Elizabeth Holmgren would be moved to the middle school and her role would not be backfilled. Parents and students see the move as a reduction in the district’s investment in instrumental music, and many shared personal stories to highlight the positive role music has played in students’ lives. They asked that the position be backfilled at the middle school, or at the very least that the role at the high school be filled by a professional music teacher. While we couldn’t immediately reach Superintendent Conti for comment, he stated at the meeting that the music program would not be cut and that there will still be the same number of students taking music, but that the district is experiencing declining enrollment overall. The School Committee emphasized that their sphere of influence and responsibility doesn’t extend toward staffing decisions, though Chair Christine Monaco acknowledged that they do supervise the superintendent and there is room for the body to advocate to Dr. Conti regarding this and other matters.
• There will be a virtual community meeting at 7:00 PM on June 12 to share Fox Hill building project updates, milestones, and next steps. The meeting will be recorded.

The next School Committee meeting is scheduled for June 25.