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Shapiro talks mental health, budget plans with Hempfield Area High School students

Pittsburgh Tribune-Review - 5/18/2023

May 17—Hempfield Area High School students talked about school start times, stress, mental health, class workload and free breakfast during a Wednesday visit from Gov. Josh Shapiro.

The governor listened to the students' suggestions on ways to improve their education experience during a roundtable discussion in the high school library.

Shapiro cracked an occasional joke with the students in between serious conversations about how mental health and stress affect their lives and the lives of those around them.

"What's clear from the conversation that I had with this group of students and others across Pennsylvania is that they're asking for our help. In fact, many of them are crying out for our help," Shapiro said. "I believe we need to be there for them, not just here at Hempfield, but in every school and every county across Pennsylvania."

Shapiro advocated for the passage of his budget, unveiled in March, which sets aside funds for mental health resources in schools and counties.

His proposal also includes $500 million over the next five years for schools to fund mental health counselors and services on site, and $60 million annually in mental health funding for Pennsylvania counties.

"We need to prioritize mental health in words and in deeds," Shapiro said. "Schools will be able to use this money to meet their districts' unique needs, meaning Harrisburg wouldn't dictate to Hempfield exactly what they need to do, and Hempfield would have the opportunity to draw down these funds and customize the programs that they see fit for their students."

Increased need

Hempfield Area High School Principal David Palmer said in a statement that students have a sense of the need for more support.

"We have seen an increased need for mental health services over the past several years, and we are always looking for ways to assist our students in this area," he said. "We have a passionate student body who are aware of this growing concern and want to do everything they can to help."

Some students discussed issues close to their everyday experience during the roundtable. Nick Miller, a junior and class treasurer, described mental health as a crisis for high schoolers. He cited the impact of early start times on students' sleep schedules as detrimental to mental health. Hempfield Area High School students start at 7:25 a.m., according to the Spartan Pathfinder Student Handbook.

"In the future, I hope to see not only Pennsylvania politicians push for later start times in schools, but politicians across the country as well," he said. "I am grateful for Governor Shapiro and his administration, because they are aware of this crisis and want to continue educating themselves and others, and want to continue reaching out to teenagers to create the solutions."

While Shapiro couldn't guarantee a change in school start times, he said he would have a conversation with fellow lawmakers.

Shapiro also talked about the Safe2Say Something anonymous tip reporting system, which he started during his time as attorney general. The program was originally intended to allow students to tip off officials about potential violent incidents. About 75% of the more than 100,000 tips sent to the system since it started five years ago have been about mental health issues, suicide ideation and self-harm, Shapiro said.

"This data from Safe2Say and the other data that we have collected over time is demonstrating the growing need here in the commonwealth of Pennsylvania," he said. "Our administration is committed to making sure mental health is a priority. We're committed to working, Democrats and Republicans alike, to passing a budget that invests in making sure our students have what they need."

Julia Maruca is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Julia at jmaruca@triblive.com.

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