Wilmington Schools Weigh Cell Phone App Amid Youth Mental Health Survey Results

WALPOLE — April 30, 2026 — Wilmington School Committee hears youth survey data showing substance use down sharply but LGBTQ+ students in crisis, and weighs a cell phone app pilot for fall. The committee received results from the 2025 Youth Health Survey — conducted in December 2025 by JSI Research and Training Institute with 372 high school and 529 middle school respondents — showing lifetime substance use fell more than 50 percent across all categories at the high school level since 2019, while 50 percent of transgender and gender diverse middle school students reported being bullied at school compared to 18 percent overall. Coordinator of behavioral health Erin Dunham and JSI consultant Becca Malak presented the data; member Aaron Golden said, "as long as I'm on the school committee I refuse to ever drop asking these kids who they really are." A working group simultaneously recommended piloting the Doorman cell phone management application for grades 6 through 12 at the start of the 2026-2027 school year at an estimated cost of approximately $7,000, but member Kathy McCauley raised unresolved concerns about software licensing terms, company maturity, and data privacy before any vote was taken.