[{"_1":2,"_100":-5,"_101":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6428588,"mediaKeyId","5880525-22e505de32deaae481d6a01e5b41661f","parentId",5880525,"title","Parents urge stricter discipline and more mental-health services after bullying and self-harm concerns","audioSeconds",320,"startMs",116000,"endMs",436000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5880525-22e505de32deaae481d6a01e5b41661f&start=116&end=436","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5880525-22e505de32deaae481d6a01e5b41661f/thumbnail_116000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6428588/Ohio/Parents-urge-stricter-discipline-and-more-mental-health-services-after-bullying-and-self-harm-concerns","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6428588-62ad52f43502c5c543e70cfef9052e50/orig.mp4?Expires=1771139069&Signature=gLXrJe1D1WATEQpkDiOMK8Sm9-PItSXwx9HtWRZVtAXJuZ2uPTw7dntd8Cpg~2Cx-wVXfgH8xJA2JZjd~AO0fpdrlwPKw7UWM6BrO1L-5v7PdDIiuGNSbknxtxD67YiWZ8wwRfZ6p5QmqgD~7G5FyGVAoooTSri9xHVi11Z5XyMpV40-qZ7d~9RMeBB4XMKtIqvZGXu2KBLU-wWJWrmDWpkTdnKhemlTP4LeNzuPBOGxh5Kn6B63Anc2MX4BnTFlv~EXBnC~zDOXJkt41XtsD9P-20vH~LvtgDaGIrxOoGmclNKjLw2o1v2GIxZXYmdmiDh6pbKORhecxFjm6eb4kg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Elyria City","date","2025-10-03T17:56:08Z","article","Megan Burkel, a Northwood Middle School parent, told the Elyria City School Board on Oct. 1 that current approaches rely too heavily on sympathy and fail to produce lasting change, and she urged the board to adopt stronger discipline paired with mental-health supports.

\"Right now, we have too much misplaced sympathy in our schools, which has allowed harmful behavior to continue without meaningful consequences,\" Burkel said, reading from handouts she provided to trustees. She described a four-strike discipline proposal, starting with school-based community service and escalating to mental-health evaluation and possible court referral on a fourth strike.

The point of her remarks, she said, was to combine \"0 tolerance, but also 100% accountability.\" Burkel also asked the district to expand access to mental-health professionals, saying a single guidance counselor for an entire middle school is \"unacceptable,\" and to create a transparent incident-reporting system similar to an Ohio state hotline posted on the district website.

Tracy Winborn, who identified herself as a licensed mental-health specialist and an Elyria resident, urged the board to ensure families know available therapeutic options and to publicize alternatives beyond the district's contracts. \"Outside companies can also come in and provide therapeutic behavioral services, known as TBS, for a child through their insurance,\" Winborn said, adding that those options can reduce wait times for help.

Board members and district staff did not take immediate action to change policy during the meeting; the comments were part of the public-comment period. The district's associate superintendent of student services, Denise Blatt, is mentioned in the transcript as having spoken with Burkel earlier about possible steps the district could take.

Supporters at the meeting said the concern is widespread: Burkel told trustees she believes Elyria's \"zero-tolerance\" student-conduct policy has not been revised in about 15 years and that local parents are exhausted and ready to volunteer if the district opens more opportunities for engagement.

The remarks were followed later in the meeting by a district presentation on student outcomes and services in which administrators described existing counseling staff and partnerships with outside agencies.

The board did not vote on any new discipline or mental-health policy at the Oct. 1 meeting. Trustees and staff directed no formal next steps on the record during public comment; speakers said they had discussed possible follow-up privately with administrators.

The record of this meeting shows parents pressed for both firmer disciplinary steps and greater mental-health capacity as complementary responses to bullying, self-harm and safety concerns in district schools.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Elyria Board of Education Meeting, October 1, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","At the Oct. 1 Elyria City School Board meeting, parents called for updated discipline policies, expanded counseling and clearer reporting after speakers described rising bullying, self-harm and a long gap since the district revised its student-conduct rules.","taxTitle","Elyria City, School Districts, Ohio","taxId",38467,"location","Ohio","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6428581,"District reports literacy gains, flags math as priority in presentation to school board",1534,1973000,3507000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5880525-22e505de32deaae481d6a01e5b41661f&start=1973&end=3507","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5880525-22e505de32deaae481d6a01e5b41661f/thumbnail_1973000.jpg","/articles/6428581/Ohio/District-reports-literacy-gains-flags-math-as-priority-in-presentation-to-school-board","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6428581-c66a672f1a6efd3866ba1a7707e53851/orig.mp4?Expires=1771139069&Signature=PrZze~ZfGKmAXJWIE1xLtShRqtagDgLROWyz1-SlEi3Pt4EVOhGAwJXwvd50NlWw4xVeO2EecB55Nxf7PkNaW~n8YaMOikX4hJ4Q53AOMozX~h72PdBAPt87kBJpFI3YKk5ET7gD0l4ZJBt~L7Oh7jtHhYsJxPuRnB5SrYrw-RjL7ZZ85JQu9c~RlCaglPqECYo3kmV3XX5ZWj1OYHkSPBMFRRHi899xsXp7H1KCaJSgk8tp4lfHlERqMiEnQkbwnvUSt5BBwDEnFTe967Ju15WqSkfmlc6czXWJFfigVV~fZcNsEf-r6lkVKjGz4icWiPnl70h-Gnuyv-JSp7Ru~A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Courtney Griffiths, associate superintendent of academic services, briefed the Elyria City School Board on Oct. 1 about district academic data beyond the state report card and outlined next steps on literacy and math.

\"Green is good,\" Griffiths said, summarizing a growth graphic that showed expected or above-expected gains in English language arts for grades 4 through 8 and notable growth in several high-school courses, including biology, American government and American history.

Griffiths highlighted a near 12 percentage-point increase (11.9%) in the district's college, career, workforce and military readiness component from 2024 to 2025 and noted that roughly 20% of the district's class of 2024 earned 12 or more industry credentials and about 20% earned at least 12 dual-enrollment college credits, figures she attributed to partnerships with Lorain County career-technical programs and college-credit providers.

Reading results showed districtwide gains on DIBELS benchmarking and the Amplify ELA curriculum cohort: third graders who have followed the curriculum since kindergarten showed an 11% decrease in students classified as \"below\" or \"well below\" benchmark and an 11% increase in those at or above benchmark from beginning- to end-of-year measures, Griffiths said. She noted the district had five elementary schools recognized with the governor's \"Science of Reading Champion\" award for implementation and growth.

Griffiths said math remains the primary academic focus: district progress-monitoring math testing shows many grade levels below the target diamond, and the district has begun adopting new K-4 math curriculum materials and instituted a double-block Algebra I course at the high school for students identified at risk.

She also cited chronic absenteeism at about 33% districtwide, compared with a state benchmark near 16%, and described work on an integrated MTSS (multi-tiered systems of support) to align instruction, behavior interventions and attendance strategies. Griffiths said the district will continue professional learning (including LETRS and phonics training) and targeted interventions for students with disabilities and English learners.

At the end of the presentation, trustees thanked Griffiths for the data. No policy vote accompanied the presentation; the material was informational and part of the district's regular academic oversight.

The board did not take formal action on curriculum adoption during the Oct. 1 meeting; Griffiths said curriculum-selection decisions for K-4 math are expected later in the school year after a selection process.","Associate Superintendent Courtney Griffiths told the Elyria City School Board that reading and some high-school measures improved, the district won state recognition for several elementary schools' implementation of the science of reading, but math remains an area of focus and the district plans curriculum updates and targeted interventions.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6428585,"Parents press district for stronger security after written threats; district cites safety teams and police coordination",187,877000,1064000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5880525-22e505de32deaae481d6a01e5b41661f&start=877&end=1064","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5880525-22e505de32deaae481d6a01e5b41661f/thumbnail_877000.jpg","/articles/6428585/Ohio/Parents-press-district-for-stronger-security-after-written-threats-district-cites-safety-teams-and-police-coordination","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6428585-3c5c8f29f8bcc5774f577150d1835092/orig.mp4?Expires=1771139069&Signature=XrKo7R7Fv1VLXGNatFAOe9H7Tsv9wowBq9VVABxzvwS~Xk3uEaW~S2Zwf9HA-Kkn1ZRVdpKHBWIv85zaL~I2fGh73iOyVHWIP-2r9B91WMycqX~t8~KW8dJnE9ZX5JZtdVcisWBQlY~c0bs~GDv1bTh~rnI51-ExhVL~rYiwvj8wyPq2Cjqgzyy96do3LKD9Ehut0X7F~c6KB92U-dit3R3HEl1w5iip0ttwtVBrJxkTzOZLK6ARdIrI34xBovLNB4~I38wOupdXRVWcK5-iah42oKNvf62bs9JSgaV9R0faGkaj9PXH7Cmg7H5sfxeljrToar~cSOf44UAkfDMQXg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Multiple parents told the Elyria City School Board on Oct. 1 they remain concerned about recent threats and uneven visible police presence at district schools, and they asked trustees to increase security and communication.

\"We had two threats on the inside of the building. They were written,\" said Terry Groener, an Elyria resident and parent. Groener said an initial outside threat had been handled with a roughly six-minute response from the Lorain County Sheriff's Department, but he said later written threats produced only brief police presence and unclear follow-up.

\"We're gonna have more police presence, Friday, which apparently there was for, like, 30 minutes,\" Groener said. \"I still don't really believe there's much of a police presence at the school.\" He suggested the district and the police departments discuss stationing at least one officer to roam hallways and asked trustees to consider grants for screening equipment.

Another parent, who identified herself as Ashley and said she had emailed the board, described seeing two sheriff deputies during drop-off but not a consistent presence later in the week. \"Two cops on a Friday, none on a Monday, and one facing the street in a car on a Tuesday with no other cruisers is unacceptable,\" she said.

In response, Annie Carstoffman, a board member, said the district has added safety staff and coordinates with law enforcement. Carstoffman said the district now has nine safety associates across buildings, a safety coordinator, licensed social workers and counselors in every building, and that administrators have been working with the Elyria Police Department (EPD) and the Lorain County Sheriff's Office.

\"We have to take every single threat seriously,\" Carstoffman said. She said the district sends letters to parents and conducts assemblies with EPD and the Lorain County Sheriff's Office; she added that some students who made threats have been charged with terroristic threats and that investigations vary in difficulty.

District administrators told the board they will not disclose certain operational details publicly when those details could undermine safety operations. The transcript identifies Amy (communications) and Mark Osborne (head of safety) as staff who coordinate crisis communications and safety planning.

Parents at the meeting urged clearer, more timely updates after incidents and asked the board to consider additional physical security measures, volunteer monitoring and closer coordination with local law enforcement. Trustees moved the meeting to executive session later in the agenda; no public vote on additional security measures was taken at the Oct. 1 meeting.","At the Oct. 1 Elyria City School Board meeting, parents described written threats found in school bathrooms Sept. 25-26 and pressed the district for a sustained police presence and other security measures. District officials said they are coordinating with law enforcement and have safety staff in buildings.","actionData","errors"]

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Parents urge stricter discipline and more mental-health services after bullying and self-harm concerns

District reports literacy gains, flags math as priority in presentation to school board

Parents press district for stronger security after written threats; district cites safety teams and police coordination