Canal Winchester reports fewer suspensions but big rise in kindergarten and elementary referrals

Superintendent Kya Hunt told the Canal Winchester Local School District board on the evening the district’s first‑semester discipline data showed declines in formal discipline actions at most buildings but sharp increases in office referrals at some elementary schools after the district introduced all‑day kindergarten.

Hunt said the presentation compared first semester 2024–25 with first semester 2023–24 “so that you can really see an apples to apples comparison.” She said data are recorded by teachers, staff and administrators and that some incidents reported to the state represent major infractions such as fights, drugs or weapons.

The nut graf: the district reported fewer suspensions and overall discipline actions at the high school and middle school, while Indian Trail Elementary recorded a notable rise in office referrals — a change the superintendent tied in part to the move to full‑day kindergarten and to the building’s new reporting tools.

District officials converted building reports into uniform metrics for the board. At Canal Winchester High School, first‑semester discipline actions (suspensions and expulsions) fell to 66 from 86 a year earlier (a 23% decline); the number of students with those actions fell to 54 from 65. Office referrals at…