Stepdad of suicide victim supports St. Charles summit
Craig Bobowiec has been trying to get St. Charles Unit District 303 to take a hard look at what Batavia-based Suicide Prevention Services can do to help prevent student suicides in the district since Superintendent Don Schlomann came to the district.
Next week, the stepdad of one of the six District 303 student who have committed suicide in the past seven years will get his wish.
Suicide Prevention Services will be one of two featured speakers at the district's inaugural "Summit on Suicide Prevention," a four-part community round-table on what the district must do better to reduce or eliminate suicides in the district.
Stacy Anderson, the district's director for prevention and parent support services, will share information on suicide prevention measures the district has in place. Stephanie Weber, the executive director of Suicide Prevention Services, will provide an overview of the problem and what her organization can do to help.
Ongoing involvement by Suicide Prevention Services is something Bobowiec has wanted for a long time.
"I'm not asking the district to reinvent the wheel," Bobowiec said. "I just want them to do something. They've been acting like this problem doesn't exist. I don't want to fight with the school district. There's no reason to fight over this. And I'm not saying they're responsible for what's happened. But you take a whole semester to teach a kid to drive a car. So how hard is it to teach at least a week's worth of depression education?"
Bobowiec said he plans to attend the first session. He's also been encouraging other parents to show up. He believes a large crowd at the summit meetings is the only way the district will remain committed to solving the problem.
"If you only get five people in the audience, it will be way too easy for them to say, 'See, people aren't interested in this,'" Bobowiec said.
The meeting will take place from 7 to 9 p.m. Wednesday, May 13, in the community room near the theater on the first floor of the Charlestowne Mall.