Second-largest district in Colorado Springs votes for 'opt-in' model of Healthy Kids survey

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — Families in the second-largest district in Colorado’s most populous county will now have to opt-in to take the Healthy Kids Colorado survey.

That decision comes after the Colorado Springs District 11 Board of Education voted Wednesday to change the survey from “passive” participation to “active,” meaning parents will now have to give explicit approval before their child takes the survey.

The survey is used to assess needs and behaviors of middle and high school students across the state. All answers are anonymous.

Five board members voted in favor of the decision, with members Julie Ott and Darleen Daniels providing the only opposing votes. 

Members voted after almost no discussion and did not return calls, emails and text messages from Rocky Mountain PBS, so it is difficult to know their reasoning for the decision, but district parents on both sides of the issue spoke out during the public comment portion of the meeting.

Those in favor of parental opt-in for the survey felt some of its questions — particularly those about gender identity and sexuality — should be topics that parents, not schools, talk about with children.

“The Healthy Kids Colorado survey, with all of its kind-sounding words, would erode our ability to raise families, our most sacred right,” said Josh Gusteson, a parent. “The nicest-sounding words are always being used for the most nefarious attacks on civil liberties.”

Pamela Berg, another community member who spoke during the public comment portion of the meeting, felt some of the questions on the survey were invasive and referred to them as “suggestive.”

“The overwhelming concern of the survey is there are several questions that blatantly intrude into the lives of our students and parents,” Berg said. “These questions, asked of an adult, even anonymously, would be considered inappropriate.”

But those in favor of all students taking the survey felt it was important for students who may not feel comfortable telling their parents about behaviors or facets of their identity to have a safe, anonymous place to express those things.

“It gives teachers and providers a sense for issues facing kids right now and how we can best provide services to kids who need them,” said Rhonda Heschel, a parent in District 11 and the chair of the district’s chapter of Neighbors for Education, a progressive group in El Paso County. “The importance of this survey is to get a finger on the pulse of what’s happening with kids.”

Heschel works as a nurse practitioner and said many kids she works with feel comfortable disclosing certain things to her — such as drug use, bullying, mental health issues — only after reassurance that such answers would be kept from parents and school administrators.

“It’s just rough when there’s a group of people who feel like only parents should talk to their kids about these things,” Heschel said. “We all know that kids are more forthcoming if they can talk about things in a private, confidential situation where their parents won’t find out what they’re saying.”

Vanessa Bernal, a spokesperson for the Colorado Department of Health and Environment, which spearheads the survey, said responses are used to create programs and push for certain legislative action, provide direction for schools and communities to address health issues, inform parents on relevant topics to help them talk to their children about their health and well-being, and secure program funding for schools, community organizations, and local and state government agencies related to youth health.

Every district in Colorado is offered the survey, and 98% of districts use an opt-out model, while 2% choose to opt in, Bernal said, though she did not specify which other districts choose to opt in.

“Collecting information about adolescent health behaviors and attitudes helps Colorado provide resources and education necessary to prevent unhealthy behaviors and promote healthy behaviors,” Bernal said. “The purpose of the survey is to better understand youth health and the factors that help young people make healthy choices.”

El Paso County — which houses Colorado Springs — is the state’s largest county, and District 11 is its second-largest district, with nearly 24,000 students. Because of this, parents in favor of the survey were particularly concerned with missing data from so many students, as an opt-in model is likely to lead to fewer respondents.

“We need to understand how post-pandemic trends are impacting our youth,” Heschel said. “Going to an opt-in system will create added barriers and will substantially impact participation in the survey."

Alison Berg is a multimedia journalist at Rocky Mountain PBS. You can reach her at alisonberg@rmpbs.org.