WASHINGTON — Students in middle school through college spoke their minds Wednesday night at an annual Montgomery County Council town hall meeting devoted to their concerns.
Topics included suicide prevention, bullying, school start times and more, and in some cases the students’ opinions and suggestions took council members by surprise.
Shannon, from Wootton High School, said that her school had seen a string of attempted suicides.
“I’d like to ask what the board and the county is trying to do to improve social and emotional health,” she said.
Council Vice President George Leventhal told her programs are in place in public schools to connect young people with professional help.
“We’ve also just added in this year’s budget a mobile pediatric crisis team so that we can have trained crisis couselors respond onsite to youth, children and young adults who are in crisis.”
One student complained of overcrowded schools; another spoke of buildings in bad condition.
“My school, Baker Middle School, has often had pipes that break,” said David. At Damascus High, where his sister goes to school, he added, “There are rats and cockroaches.”
Council President Craig Rice sympathized.
“Unfortunately, everybody thinks that Montgomery County
