Today, we’re publishing candidates’ responses to the final question:

The mental health of students remains a priority for local schools three years after the COVID-19 pandemic upended traditional modes of education and forced students to learn from home on computers for long stretches of time. Some educators continue to report lasting impacts of that experience, including ongoing behavioral issues and increased rates of stress among students. How effectively is USD 232 dealing with this issue? What more, if anything, can the school board do to help?

Below are the answers the Post received from candidates on this issue:

Member Area 1

Bill Fletcher (incumbent)

In our fast-paced working society with abundant social media resources, we have a challenge to promote the mental health of our staff and students. Social media has allowed people to say things to others that they probably would not say in person. This becomes a difficult factor to control. We have programs in school on bullying and how to use social media appropriately. This helps because teachers reported to me that they have noticed emails are much more professional after the students receive this education.

Staff and teachers also receive education on how to react to a variety of physical and emotional reactions of children, so they are better equipped to manage these situations. Our district also has protocols in place to deal with the aftermath resulting from catastrophic situations that occur in the schools.

Our social workers and nurses work with students to help them with individual physical, psychological or social needs. Our main problem is getting information that a student is having a problem. Many of them — especially teenagers — are reluctant to talk about it. We need to find ways for these students to feel safe talking to staff or reporting problems without judgement or retribution.

Chad Philhour

USD 232 is dealing with mental health in part through the counseling service provided in schools. We need to continue to support our counselors, teachers and programs. This allows students to cope with the stresses of life, promote physical health, foster good relationships and provide the framework to make meaningful contributions to our community. The goal is to aid in helping students realize their full potential. Teachers need proper training to identify students struggling with mental illness. Students perform better in a safe learning environment that includes a relationship with a caring adult. Students need opportunities to participate in learning activities that allow them to openly speak with others and share their perspectives without fear of bullying or retaliation.

I appreciate how our district is leveraging resources to improve the “whole student” approach. At the elementary level, my daughters meet with their school counselor every two weeks. This positive interaction enhances student growth in academics, social development and emotional growth. School counselors play a critical role in ensuring schools create an environment beneficial to academic success.

Member Area 2

Ashley Spaulding (incumbent)

I recently read that Children’s Mercy has seen a 67% increase in mental health referrals since 2017. This is an issue of huge significance and one that impacts many USD 232 families. While schools shouldn’t be a primary source of mental health care, we should be a primary source of mental health resources. If students don’t feel well – physically or mentally – they can’t learn. We have a responsibility to provide a quality education to our students. We also have an obligation to help make sure their mental health allows them to learn.

We need to get more USD 232 students involved in Zero Reasons Why, a student-led organization that advocates for removing the stigma around mental health and works to prevent teen suicide. We need to normalize talking about mental health. We need to equip students with ways to communicate when a friend is struggling as well as ways to reach out if they’re struggling themselves. We have amazing, caring staff; we need to make sure students feel connected to a staff member who they’re comfortable reaching out to for help. We need to educate our students and staff beyond “typical” warning signs so that students who are struggling internally but seem “fine” externally are identified and supported. In addition to our students, we need to continue to care for our teachers’ and staff mental well-being.

Social media, the pandemic and pressures to perform at incredibly high levels have taken a toll on students’ mental health. We’re making strides in having conversations around mental health. It’s imperative we keep those conversations going.

Greg Withrow

Any one alive for any length of time knows the pandemic was something to have to endure. We knew there would be long-lasting effects that would stem from it. And here we are. It’s staring us all in the face. We see what were pre-school and kindergarten kids at the time now having trouble with face to face interaction. Social interaction is actually terrifying to some of them. When we knew these decisions were going to be to their detriment, we should have made the call to help mitigate or reverse these possible outcomes, and we didn’t. As a board member, I will make sure we learned from our mistakes and promise to never allow that to happen again.

I care for this district very much. It has a special sense of community. I want to make sure it stays that way. NO matter where you stand on things, our kids are watching us. And I, as a father, want my children to follow my example. So, I want to be a lover of the lost. I want my heart to break for those kids that don’t get to go home to loving homes. When they come to school, they are looking for compassion, looking for someone to care for them. And I hope to be that person for them and for our district.

Member Area 3

Stephanie Makalous (incumbent)

I believe that schools are not the only ones dealing with the lasting impacts of the pandemic. Many people in our community — students and families alike — are dealing with social and emotional challenges and learning how to deal with these mental health issues.

At the district we are constantly learning how we can help those in need of support and adjusting to best serve the needs of students, families and staff. I believe the stigma of mental health has also changed to better allow students to talk about their mental health and to check in with others. The Zero Reasons Why campaign is a great example of a program where students can talk about suicide awareness. Students can freely discuss suicide at school and seek assistance if they’re struggling or in need of support.

We’re working hard to better equip and educate the community on the warning signs and how we can help each other. Our students are learning what it means to be healthy, not only physically but emotionally, as well. Students are resilient and more well-rounded when we better equip them to navigate their mental health.

The pandemic and the coarsening of our public discourse impacted our students and staff in recent years. The board proactively hired a full-time wellness coordinator to assist our staff with not only being physically healthy, but mentally healthy, as well.

Henry Sandate

Did not provide the Post with a response. 

At-Large Area

Andy Jacober

Without a doubt, I would back and support all of our counselors and mental health programs.

The amount of information we are exposed to is alarming. Some is good, but the vast majority is so negative and horrible. I am all for allocating resources to help our kids handle life’s challenges.

Engagement is key. We have to keep the line of communication open between our parents and our teachers to make sure we recognize when a child needs help.

Anh-Nguyet Nguyen

Having been and continuing to be in the classroom the last three years directly interacting with students I have seen a positive shift in their abilities to cope with the new learning methods, as well as their maturity. It was definitely a struggle at first, trying to get my own child to the age-appropriate level of maturity, as well as trying to help over 100 students each day cope with the changes they had experienced.

It is important that teacher and parents, if possible, work together to identify any areas of their children that need to be more closely monitored. In USD 232, the teachers have a remarkable ability to identify those students and specific areas of need, and address them as well as possible.

All that being said, mental health is not a school or district problem. Rather, it is a problem with the community and society, and addressing it will require collaborations with the resources available within the community, and sometimes in extreme cases, outside of the community. It is imperative that the district partner with mental health providers to offer the additional help students may need that are outside of the capability of the district.