District pilots restorative practices in two schools, plans district‑wide training and measurement

District 15 officials presented a restorative practices initiative designed to strengthen school community, reduce disciplinary incidents, and improve student attendance and belonging. The program emphasizes community circles, “talking pieces,” and prevention‑focused practices that schools can use to build relationships and address harm when it occurs.

Megan Meyer, the district’s trauma‑informed coordinator, and other student‑services staff described the approach as twofold: universal community‑building (prevention) and restorative responses when harm occurs. The International Institute for Restorative Practices was cited in a short overview video shown to the board.

Two pilot sites—CLA (ABLE and REACH programs) and Paddock—shared examples and early results. CLA staff said they established building values (passion, connection and perseverance), use daily circles in classrooms and staff meetings, and report reduced escalations by using portable “talking pieces” at lunch and recess. Paddock teachers described how staff used circles to surface student concerns and to rebuild community; teachers said students who had not spoken before began to engage, and staff saw improved classroom interaction.

District leaders laid out a professional learning plan to scale the work: administrators have completed foundational training and the district plans to use remaining institute days this year to train middle‑school teachers. The district intends to host select teacher cohorts for November and March trainings led by a national trainer; the presenters also described building internal capacity by having staff who completed train‑the‑trainer work deliver coaching in‑district. Measurement plans include tracking office discipline referrals, crisis minutes, restraints/timeouts, attendance, and teacher pulse checks on implementation. The district said the initial goal is to roll out the middle‑school level this year and expand to additional schools in subsequent years as capacity grows.

No formal board vote was required for this informational presentation. Pilot school staff urged district support for ongoing coaching and resources; board members asked about sustainability and comparison to earlier district initiatives, and presenters said coaching, multi‑year planning and building leadership capacity are central to making the work durable.