FREMONT UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT COMMITS TO INVESTING $838,000 TOWARDS MENTAL HEALTH AND EMOTIONAL SUPPORT FOR STUDENTS

December 14th, 2020

GENup Fremont, in collaboration with mental health professionals, staff, students, and parents has drafted a letter of proposed mental health solutions and will present these solutions to stakeholders at the GENup Mental Health Solutions Town Hall on Sunday, January 3rd at 5pm PST. View and sign on to this letter here: bit.ly/[] and register to attend the town hall here: bit.ly/mhth-reg.

Fremont, CA — On November 12, 2020, the Board of Education (Board) of Fremont Unified School District (FUSD) voted to adopt a recommendation to re-invest its $838,000 contribution to the School Resource Officer program toward mental health resources, restorative practices, and emotional support to expand safe and supportive learning environments for students.

The Board’s decision follows calls from Fremont students, parents, and educators to prioritize proactive and preventative solutions to the mental health crisis that pervades the district.

• In the most recent California Healthy Kids Survey (2018-2019 school year), approximately 1,000 11th graders (38%) and more than 700 9th graders (27%) experienced chronic sadness/hopelessness in the past 12 months, and nearly 500 11th graders (19%) and 400 9th graders (15%) have seriously considered suicide in the past 12 months.

• The district falls far below recommended student-to-staff ratios:

• • The American School Counselor Association recommends a ratio of 1 school counselor to 250 students; FUSD has a ratio of 1 school counselor to 710 students.

  • The National Association of School Psychologists recommends a ratio of 1 school psychologist to 500-700 students; FUSD has a ratio of 1 school psychologist to 1,400 students.

  • The American Nurses Association recommends a ratio of 1 school nurse to 750 students; FUSD has a ratio of 1 school nurse to 2,920 students.

• In 2018-2019, FUSD had 30 cases of students experiencing a mental health crisis which led to 72-hour psychiatric hospitalizations (5150 hold); FUSD had 20 such cases in 2019-2020.

• In 2016, Dr. Stuart Slavin, a pediatrician and professor at the Saint Louis University School of Medicine conducted an anonymous survey of Irvington High School students. He found that 54% of students showed moderate to severe symptoms of depression and 80% of students suffered moderate to severe symptoms of anxiety.

• The district has lost at least two students to suicide at a single high school from 2013-2017.

In response to these needs, the student-led organization GENup Fremont will be hosting a Mental Health Solutions town hall on Sunday, January 3rd at 5pm PST to discuss the situation in FUSD, discuss their solutions with key stakeholders, and understand the community's questions and priorities.