Joel Hathaway presents bullying prevention progress to Board of Education

The Roaring Fork School District Board meeting on April 23, 2025, featured a significant presentation on bullying prevention by Joel Hathaway. The discussion aimed to update the Board on the progress of implementing bullying prevention measures as outlined in the recently revised Policy JICDE.

Hathaway emphasized the importance of creating a safe and supportive school environment where all students feel a sense of belonging. He highlighted that the policy mandates annual updates on student perceptions of bullying, which is crucial for understanding the effectiveness of current strategies.

During the presentation, Hathaway provided a data snapshot regarding bullying incidents. He noted a decrease in reported bullying incidents according to the Infinite Campus incident reports, indicating progress in addressing the issue. However, he pointed out a contrasting trend in anonymous reports through the Safe2Tell system, where incidents of bullying have increased. This discrepancy raises questions about the effectiveness of current reporting mechanisms and the overall perception of bullying among students.

Hathaway also referenced the Panorama survey, which assesses how often students feel bullied at school. The results showed that perceptions of bullying remained relatively stable from fall 2023 to fall 2024, with older students reporting lower instances of feeling bullied compared to younger students. Additionally, data from the Healthy Kids survey indicated that 27% of middle school students and 14% of high school students reported being bullied in the past year.

The presentation concluded with Hathaway expressing a desire for further analysis of the data to understand the underlying factors contributing to these trends. He noted that the next Healthy Kids survey results, expected in late 2025, would provide more current insights into student experiences with bullying.

Overall, the meeting underscored the ongoing commitment of the Roaring Fork School District to address bullying and foster a positive school climate, while also acknowledging the complexities involved in measuring and responding to bullying incidents.