South City district discusses safety and mental health

In particular, the district is looking into piloting the STOPit Anonymous Reporting System, where students or parents can report concerns about safety, bullying or other issues in hopes of getting ahead of problematic situations. 

Often, students are the best resource to inform administrators if there is any concern over safety of students, Ryan Sebers, director of Student Services for the district, said. 

“We’re fortunate that our students and community trust us and share information with us,” Sebers said. “That’s the best safety measure.”

Though the reporting system could address matters as they arise, the district is also focused on getting ahead of possible contentious situations or safety concerns. 

“Student mental health is where you’re going to find a majority of your ability to be able to counter problematic situations by being proactive,” Sebers said. 

Though the two public commenters and board members agreed that students should not have to think about their safety at all, acknowledgment of concerns over bullying, violence and school shootings is important. 

As threats and incidents of violence in public spaces, including schools, have risen in recent years throughout the country, many students are also feeling isolated, something exacerbated by the pandemic, Superintendent Shawnterra Moore said.

These concerns are often intensified during election years when divisive language becomes pervasive, she said. 

“Unfortunately, our community has not been spared from these troubling trends,” Moore said. “Recent events in our own district have understandably left our staff, our students and our community members feeling anxious and concerned about safety.”

On Sept. 27, an altercation between a group of students at South San Francisco High School resulted in a 16-year-old being stabbed with a knife by a 14-year-old. The victim was taken to a trauma center with injuries that were not life threatening and the suspect was taken into police custody.

In response, the district placed the school on “secure campus” status, which meant all doors were locked and access was restricted to and from the campus. 

In accordance with the distinct’ after-incident response protocol, heightened counseling and mental health resources for students and community members were made available, and there was an increased presence of law enforcement in and around the school.

The district is piloting “wellness centers” at four of its campuses, and peer counseling programs at its secondary schools to promote conflict resolution. The goal is to have a wellness center at each of the district’s 14 school sites, Sebers said, and the district is identifying how facilities can host them without displacing instruction. 

Mental health resources the district hopes the community is aware of include Daybreak, a teletherapy service for students and families at no cost, and services provided through the Youth Services Bureau of the YMCA.   

“We know that everyone processes events like these differently and at their own pace,” Moore wrote in an Oct. 4 letter to the community. “The healing is ongoing, and no one should feel they need to go through it alone.”

A parent of a student at Alta Loma Middle School noted that any wellness initiative “must acknowledge and grant special protection for students in traditionally bullied groups” like those with special needs, the LGBTQ+ community, and newcomer students.  

“Acknowledgment and acceptance of differences rather than hiding them will improve our students’ mental health,” the parent said.