Idaho Dispatch

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Boise School District Administering Youth Mental Health Survey to Middle and High School Students

By • November 2, 2022

Boise School District is administering a youth mental health survey to all students in junior high and high school English classes on Thursday, November 3 and Friday, November 4, 2022.

The District sent out a one-line email to parents that read,

“The following survey will be given November 3rd in English classes. Please see the attached information. Communities for Youth Survey“

The only way parents are able to opt their children out is through the link in the email. The link does not show the questions to parents.

The survey originates from an organization called Communities For Youth. The organization’s website says,

“We empower Idaho communities by connecting parents, schools, and kids with the capacity to recognize and address youth mental health so that all may thrive.”

According to the site, Communities For Youth partners with Boise State University, St. Luke’s Hospital, and Idaho Department of Health and Welfare.

The cover page of the survey explains that,

“This assessment is being conducted by Dr. Megan L. Smith, PhD who works for the School of Public Health and Population Science at Boise State University.”

Heidi Pearson, a parent with a 12th grader at Capital High School, asked Communities For Youth for a copy of the survey and for further explanation on the purpose of the survey. Megan Smith and Matt Isbell responded saying,

“Our goal is to collect information on the risk and protective factors known to impact youth mental health and then create a community response based on the unique needs of your school community.”

The email reply to Pearson did include a link to review all the survey questions.

These images show some of the questions that are included in the survey being administered to 6th through 12th graders:

The entirety of the survey can be found here: Online Survey

Idaho Dispatch inquired about the survey with Todd Driver, Director of Content and Curriculum in the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction within the Idaho Department of Education. He responded,

“We have no association with the survey or the process. This is a survey conducted by Boise School District. Idaho is a local control state. Most authority lies with the elected local board of trustees. Contact Boise School District if you have further questions.”

Pearson has a strong objection to the survey and had this to say,

“When I saw this “survey” that is being imposed on our children, complete DISGUST and INDIGNATION is an understatement. What do questions regarding gender, romantic interests, thoughts of suicide, sexual intercourse, depression, and questions about Covid-19 have to do with academics?!! The word NOTHING comes to mind. Last time I checked God made Adam and Eve, (male & female) end of discussion.

WAKE UP PARENTS – this garbage is being fed to our kids right under our noses, and it is insanely WRONG!!”

David of the Idaho Dispatch contributed to this article.

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Tags: Boise School Board, Boise School District, Boise State University, Capital High School, Communities For Youth, Education, Idaho Department of Education, Idaho Department of Health and Welfare, Megan Smith, St. Lukes, State Superintendent of Education, Todd Driver

30 thoughts on “Boise School District Administering Youth Mental Health Survey to Middle and High School Students”

  1. The questions set forth in the article are not the same as the depression assessment screening given to me annually by my family physician….

    1. This was my first thought too. This seems to have no “mental health” questions, just inappropriate and invasive questions. What does socioeconomic status or knowing someone who has had Covid have anything to do with mental health?

      1. The survey is focused on risk and protective factors which are related to ACEs and substantially impact mental health and life outcomes…. this article pulled out selective question that does not provide a complete picture. It is not a mental health questionnare that would target depression, anxiety, or other medically based mental health conditions similar to what would be completed at a doctor’s office.

        https://publications.aap.org/pediatrics/article/144/2/e20182945/76877/Adverse-Childhood-Experiences-and-Protective

  3. Just another reason to eliminate liberalism. This has nothing to do with Education. Don’t let this into your schools, parents.

  4. Biden was on 60 minutes a few weeks ago, and he said right out that the pandemic was over.
    Sex Ed or Health class has gone from teaching how the male, and female reproductive systems work into gay lbgt etc…studies.
    According to my son who graduated from Timberline, pay attention to assigned reading this is not only being pushed through surveys.

  5. I am disgusted with the crap that is in this survey. If anything this is the stuff that causes Mental health issues. What is wrong with our principals in these schools.
    I would love to know who puts this crap out there. they should be in jail.
    I am tired of our Mayor and governor doing nothing to help the people of Boise. Get out and vote!
    We need new representation.

  6. Share this article far and wide. Finances, sexual interests and medical history are NOT questions that need to be asked universally and then kept in the child’s file for who knows what else. Thank you for this article!

  7. Time for a mental heath assessment, treatment, and legal action for the people in the government, school district, and NGOs obsessed with sexualizing children. Society and particularly parents need to protect children from this insidious, pervasive and perverse focus by the left.

  9. Sounds to me like we need to elect new board members and department of education people. Just more CRT.

    1. But we just had a school board election for BSD. 20% or so showed up. Where are the parents???

      How many more times at bat do parents think they’re going to get before their children are forcibly taken from them or heaven forbid: children are so brainwashed they willingly leave you for more “woke” homes???? It’s already happening: now that they have thoroughly confused and deceived children and teens into gender dysphoria in Virginia, step two is taking place: relocating gender dysphoric children and teens into woke homes in Virginia. I’ll see if I can find the link to the article.

      Parents: beware!

  11. This is all about liberals trying to normalize pedophilia! They shouldn’t be anywhere near our children. It would appear as though the survey is just the camel’s nose inside the tent. Dr. Megan Smith PHD Should be contacted and told to STOP and a cease and desists order issued from the court. She does not need to know!

  12. This is beyond any reach the School has any right to! Mental Illness is the parents responsibility not the Schools. Our EDUCATION SYSTEM IS BROKEN! Throw out ALL AGENDA’S. Such as this and go back to EDUCATION that benefits the CHILD. This type of education is for one reason, control of the mind and taking God and Parents out of the Pucture. Fire any School Official who wants this kind of education, it is called brain control.
    From an Educator

    1. If you think protective and risk factors do not impact academic success…. you have not spent much time in a middle or high school lately. If kids are suffering from a mental health condition learning is the last thing on their mind. Stop compartmentalizing individuals whether students or adults, parents or teachers… don’t live in vacuums problems at school/work bleed into problems at home and with relationships. Many children don’t have access to mental health services… how is teaching interpersonal problem solving strategies or coping skills a problem. As a society we must stop admiring problems, bemoaning the things we dislike or disagree with and start working together to find solutions that work for more people. Instead of complaints offer solitions.

      https://www.cdc.gov/childrensmentalhealth/data.html

  13. This is beyond any reach the School has any right to! Mental Illness is the parents responsibility not the Schools. Our EDUCATION SYSTEM IS BROKEN! Throw out ALL AGENDA’S. Such as this and go back to EDUCATION that benefits the CHILD. This type of education is for one reason, control of the mind and taking God and Parents out of the Pucture. Fire any School Official who wants this kind of education, it is called brain control.
    From an Educator. NO I HAVE NOT SAID THIS BEFORE, YOU ARE PART OF THE AGENDA!

  14. Many of the questions are not the school’s business unless they plan on using them for their own agenda. I do feel the mental health questions may be warranted. We have a MH crisis in our youth. Too many kids are neglected by parents and they don’t know the mental state of their child. The issue is, what will the school do with that information?

  15. 20 US code sub section 1232h Protection of Pupil Rights protects families, students, and parents from invasion of privacy. Every parent must be notified in advance of surveys or such educational material so they can opt out. On line messages would not qualify as proper notification of every parent. This survey is a violation of federal law (at the least) and student/parent rights.

  16. This episode should be all the motivation a parent should need to NEVER AGAIN (until school boards are cleaned up) vote for any school bond measure , funding or extension of a school bond. And yes that applies to college and university bonds and funding as well.

  18. These questions are seeking desired answers to understand how the leftist sexual grooming is progressing. They are trying to understand if their targets (the kids) are more predisposed to grooming if they are poor, middle class or wealthy. They are also trying to determine frequency of sexual abuse incidents that can be matched with whatever sexual orientation is presented. They are fishing for outcomes for political ends. It’s totally geared for finding what they want to hear. It’s not social science….it’s Politics.

  19. Obviously, this must be what little has been paying for regarding our Idaho education?
    Ammon is surely looking better every day

  21. Is the survey anonymous? If so, why would it be a problem when risk and protective factors have a proven track record? And yes, gender identification, sexual activity, substance use/abuse are problems our youth face and are risk factors. It is science not indoctrination. Your article on the other hand appears biased since you didn’t bother to include any of the questions that would address protective factors like connectedness/family & community support, religious affiliation, life skills like cooing & problem solving. Why bury our heads in the sand and refuse to do things that support youth?

    Risk and Protective Factors

    https://www.sprc.org/about-suicide/risk-protective-factors

    http://www.aceresponse.org/give_your_support/ACEs_in_Education_25_68_sb.htm

    https://ctb.ku.edu/en/table-of-contents/analyze/choose-and-adapt-community-interventions/risk-and-protective-factors/examples

  22. Indoctrination: the process of teaching a person or group to accept a set of beliefs uncritically.

    Bias: prejudice in favor of or against one thing, person, or group compared with another, usually in a way considered to be unfair.

    This article is a nice example of indoctrination and bias.

    Why are you presenting half the story? Why did you only list a few questions targeting risk factors (maybe the one you thought your readers would find most inflammatory) and none of the questions targeting protective factors? Protective factors include supportive relationships (i.e., family), positive community interactions-connectedness (i.e., faith or religious affiliation), and society (i.e., strong laws- freedom and systems of support- police, firemen, schools).

    Something that is true can be biased if you only tell one side of the story. When you only print some facts, regardless of whether they are true, the information is biased. Individuals do not learn to make informed decisions or think critically. The uninformed are easily lead down a path manufactured to draw the intended conclusions instad of making informed decisions and become indoctrinated.

    For an organization that claims to be non-partisan with a goal to bring political news that gives you both sides of the story without all the personal bias… this is an epic fail.

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