2017 MBS student survey, updated security reviewed

Amanda Hood, director of student services, had two presentations at the Board of Education meeting on Oct. 15. The first dealt with the annual Mountain Brook Schools student survey, given to students in grades 7-12.

Initiated last year, the MBS survey was designed to be a more focused alternative to the PRIDE survey, which was mandatory for all students in previous years. Because the PRIDE survey is no longer paid for by the state and school officials found some sections did not pertain to nor address concerns for Mountain Brook students, MBS developed a new online, district-specific survey.

To continue to review standings with national averages, the PRIDE survey will be given every three years, and the MBS survey will be given in other years. The PRIDE survey will be mandatory, while the MBS survey will be voluntary. Both are anonymous.

Hood said the areas of focus they wanted the MBS survey to include were stress and suicide risk, in addition to substance abuse, safety and support.

Looking at results from 2017, Hood said 82 percent of students in grades 9-12 felt significant stress over the course of the previous year. The main drivers were worrying about academics, futures and college acceptances. In the coming year, Hood said, “helping differentiate what is normal and what is significant stress will be important for us.”

In the same grades, the survey showed students felt down — “More than just the moodiness of teenagers” — 30 percent of the time on average, compared to the national average of 32 percent.

To address the issue of teens dealing with depression and/or anxiety, some of whom responded in the 2017 survey that they had contemplated dying by suicide, Hood said staff and counselors try to provide resources and connections for students and family members and work with students who may be going through tough times. 

They frequently share the information available at allinmountainbrook.org, too, in an effort to help those who may be experiencing an emergency after school hours or who may not want to speak about depression or anxiety due to the stigma that surrounds mental health issues.

On the other side of the survey, the support section, Hood said 72 percent of respondents said they feel like they have an adult at school with whom they can talk.

“We’d like that number to be higher. We’d like it to be 100 percent,” she said, adding that students feel more connected and have a greater network when they are in a school for longer periods of time. Students also said they feel safe at school, with the range of responses stating they feel 87-99 percent safe. 

The survey dealt with substance abuse as well, such as alcohol, marijuana, e-cigarettes, cigarettes and prescription drugs.

Alcohol, Hood said, “is probably our biggest issue,” but noted this concern is not unique or new to Mountain Brook. Results from last year’s survey indicated usage has decreased over the years, although according to the survey, 44 percent of teens had consumed alcohol in the last month, compared to the national average of 33 percent.

The main reasons students drank, according to survey results, were to get drunk — “Which is binge drinking that you see happening,” Hood said — because friends were drinking or to relieve stress.

Hood also said use of other substances have decreased over the years, but e-cigarettes are becoming more popular.

The 2018 MBS survey will be given to students in grades 7-12 on Monday, Oct. 22.

Hood's second presentation gave an update regarding the safety measures being put into place at the schools.

As of Oct. 15, all buzz-in systems have been installed, as have the key card access points and the traffic arm at the high school. All faculty and staff have been received crisis training and materials, and three additional school resource officers are expected to join the MBS team in January 2019. Video security systems have been updated and video systems are expected to be installed at the elementary schools by the end of October.

Hood said school officials tried to be "gentle" with the new measures, and the security changes have been well-received by the community.

Also during the meeting, board members:

• Approved the minutes from the past meeting.
• Approved the updates to the J-28h drug program policy, which will require a saliva sample in lieu of a urine sample, as discussed at the Sept. 17 Board of Education meeting.
• Approved recommendations to personnel.
• Approved the removal and/or disposal of surplus items.
• Recognized Sharon Mumm for earning the ALET Emerging Leader Award; teachers Elizabeth Studinka and Stacy Dorsten for securing two spots at the AGI/ExxonMobil STEM and Geoscience Teacher Leadership Academy in Houston; and Mountain Brook Elementary for becoming a Blue Ribbon School.
• Approved the zoning of six subdivided lots at 3040 Weatherton Drive to have a choice of either Mountain Brook Elementary or Brookwood Forest Elementary. 

Mountain Brook High School will host the All In Conference Nov. 6 at 8 a.m. with the conference for secondary schools on Nov. 13 at 5:30 p.m. at MBHS. Both Mountain Brook PTO and Vestavia Hills PTO members are hosting a legislative forum Nov. 15 at 8:30 a.m. at Vestavia Board of Education. 

The next board meeting will be Nov. 19 at Mountain Brook Elementary at 3:30 p.m.