Manson Schools to administer statewide Healthy Youth Survey Oct. 20–21

MANSON — Manson School District will administer Washington’s Healthy Youth Survey to grades 8 and 10 on Monday, Oct. 20, and grade 12 on Tuesday, Oct. 21. The survey is statewide and biennial, designed to track trends in student health and well-being. Participation is voluntary and anonymous. Parents and guardians may preview the questionnaires in the Manson High School office during regular hours, and families who prefer not to participate can opt out by contacting the Manson HS Main Office or the student’s counselor, Mr. Broome or Mrs. Helleson, before survey day.

The Healthy Youth Survey (HYS) has been conducted in Washington since 2002 through a partnership that includes the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction and the Department of Health. Most districts survey grades 6, 8, 10 and 12; this cycle, Manson is administering the survey to grades 8, 10 and 12. Schools typically set aside one class period, about 50 minutes, for students to complete the survey on a secure platform. The questionnaires ask about mental health, substance use, injury and safety, school climate, physical activity and nutrition, and related risk and protective factors. Younger students see a shorter version. For grades 8, 10 and 12, some questionnaires include items about sexual behavior and abuse; districts can request exemptions from those items, and students are not required to answer any question.

Privacy safeguards are central to how the survey works. HYS does not collect names or codes that could link responses to individual students, and schools do not receive individual answer files. Instead, they receive summary reports only when enough valid surveys are completed at a grade level to protect anonymity. Locally, schools and community partners use the results to understand trends, shape counseling supports and prevention efforts, and strengthen grant applications. At the state level, the data help track long-term patterns and guide public health resources.

For families, the next steps are simple. Note the dates above, watch for the district’s notice, and preview the questionnaires at the high school office if you wish. If you want your student to opt out, contact the main office or your student’s counselor ahead of time. If your student participates, consider using survey day as a conversation starter about health, safety and decision-making.

More information is available from the Manson HS Main Office or counselors Mr. Broome and Mrs. Helleson. You can read more about the survey including the background, questionnaires and parent materials at http://askhys.net.

Andrew Simpson: 509-433-7626 or andrew@ward.media