District launches Northpointe transition classroom to re‑engage habitually disruptive students

Jared Ramos, director of student services and prevention, described the Northpointe Center, a district transition classroom established to provide short‑term, intensive intervention for students who are habitually disruptive or otherwise not successful in their home school. Ramos said the program began as a pilot last school year and that the district requested funding to staff it long term.

“[The Northpointe Center is] a transition classroom for students who are trying to figure out where the best place for them to go to school is,” Ramos said, explaining the goal is to “reengage students back in the academic process and help them go get back to regular school.” Superintendent Horsey added that the program was intended as a “safe‑school light” option for students who do not meet the threshold for the district’s formal safe‑school placement but need supports beyond what schools can provide locally.

Why this matters: Board members said the program addresses a common complaint that disruptive behavior in a classroom shortchanges other students’ learning. The center is meant to reduce classroom disruptions while offering a path back to a least‑restrictive appropriate placement.

Ramos said the district used a memorandum and a “student conduct agreement” (a last‑chance contract) to outline the process: when a student continues to be suspended for disruptive behavior, district student‑services staff meet with the parent, student and school to review prior interventions and sign a conduct agreement. If the student violates the agreement, district staff consider alternative placements, which can include the Northpointe Center, the district safe‑school program (Roosevelt), Connection High or other alternatives.

Ramos said the Northpointe Center occupies a district‑owned fourplex on the north side of the campus near the GEC and is convenient to transportation; the program uses GTI buses that connect from high schools so students can attend morning, afternoon or full‑day sessions. He said district counselors and social‑work leads are co‑located nearby and that the center has two classrooms to separate younger and older students.

Ramos reported numerical results from the pilot period: since the memorandum took effect in January, schools made 19 referrals into the process; four students were immediately placed into alternative settings, while others entered the conduct‑agreement process. He said ten students who signed the conduct agreement subsequently violated it and were brought to student services; several of those were transitioned to other schools or programs, and most of those students were eighth graders. Ramos said most students who were referred and later placed at other schools remained enrolled there as the new school year began, though he noted two were continuing to struggle and were being monitored.

Ramos and Superintendent Horsey described the reintegration process, which they said is supported by state law requiring notification when a juvenile case reaches certain stages; the district noted reintegration meetings bring together parents, probation officers and school staff to create placement and safety plans. Horsey and Ramos said the district has increased collaboration with probation, juvenile defense attorneys and Salt Lake County services and that reintegration laws have changed how districts plan placements.

Funding and staffing: Ramos said the Northpointe Center is staffed by two teachers, two instructional assistants and an alternate‑placement coordinator who does intake and coordinates reintegration meetings. He said the district received a $120,000 Salt Lake County grant to fund one of the positions.

Academics and program model: Ramos described the program as temporary and goal‑focused: students are typically placed until the end of a quarter or semester to allow a smoother transition to the next placement. He said instruction has included teacher‑facilitated curriculum for younger students and credit‑recovery packets (Edgenuity) for high school students, and that the district is exploring proficiency‑based approaches that board members suggested would help students regain credits and confidence.

Board comments: Board members praised the program as a way to protect instruction time for other students and to provide a structured, staffed option for students who were previously suspended repeatedly without a clear path back. Members asked about use for elementary students and special‑education intersections; district staff said the program is primarily for grades 6–12 but that extreme elementary cases have been considered on a case‑by‑case basis and that federal special‑education rules and manifestation determinations constrain some placements.

Ending: Ramos said the district will continue to monitor outcomes and refine the model and that the program’s intent is to provide supports so more students can return to regular schools when appropriate. Superintendent Horsey thanked staff and noted the program fills a gap that previously led some students to “fall through the cracks.”