St. Charles schools to host suicide summits

With six student suicides in the past seven years, St. Charles Unit District 303 is turning to the community for help in forming a new approach to reaching out to troubled students.

The district announced the dates of four community meetings for residents to weigh in on the issue in the same "summit" format that explored the need for building and classroom improvements. If the summits follow the tension of the announcement that the district would be gathering experts to discuss the issue, there may be even more split feelings about how to deal with the suicide problem than the decision that led the district to hold a referendum in April in an effort to fix its buildings.

Craig Bobowiec, the stepfather of one of the students who committed suicide, has already put the district on notice that he'll be there with plenty of criticism and input about what the district needs to change. From his perspective, the district does not spend nearly enough time helping students learn how to cope with the emotions and physical changes of being a teenager, much less depression, drug use and suicide. The district has promised to address Bobowiec's concerns as well as any community sentiments on the suicides during the summit process.

The first suicide summit meeting will be from 7 to 9 p.m. May 13 in the same room on the first floor near the movie theater at Charlestowne Mall where previous summit meetings have been held. The first meeting will provide information about what the district currently does to prevent suicide. Additional meetings will occur on May 27, June 3 and June 10.