Clinton City Schools plans elementary alternative classrooms and expands mentor, counseling supports

Clinton City Schools officials on March 26 described plans to pilot an elementary-level alternative classroom inside an existing school, expand community-based mentor recruitment and increase contracted psychological services to address an uptick in severe behavioral incidents among young students.

District administrators said the program would place a small number of students in a specialized classroom within an elementary school rather than creating a separate facility. "We are exploring different avenues...if we do decide to house it at an elementary building, they will be able to go boots on the ground ready to go," said Dr. William Vann (identified in the meeting as a district staff member), who presented the proposal.

The proposal would mirror components of a Pitt County model that has served a handful of students districtwide. Vann said Pitt County’s program enrolled about six students districtwide; Clinton officials are considering a similar small cohort size (Vann estimated a range of roughly three to five students per classroom in early planning). He said staffing for each classroom would be at least two adults — "no less than 2, a teacher and a teacher assistant," to avoid placing a single staff member in a potentially unsafe situation.

The district intends the classroom to be short-term and instructional: board members were told the Pitt County model uses a 30-day maximum placement; Clinton staff are discussing a similar cap to give students and staff a break and to return students to general education when appropriate. Vann said the district would provide training before any classroom launch and was pursuing free professional development through the Center for Safer Schools for this school year so staff would be prepared if the classroom opens in fall 2025.

Administrators emphasized the classroom complements several existing interventions rather than replacing them. The district currently follows MTSS (multi-tiered system of supports) and contracts with Tar Heel Health and Human Services for psychologist services. Administrators said the contracted psychologist — identified in the meeting as Bobby Jones of Tar Heel Health and Human Services — visits schools (example: one day a week at Sunset) and works with tier-3 students. "They offer a variety of services...we have something in place now," Vann said, while acknowledging caseload limits and ongoing discussion about increasing contracted days.

District staff also described an effort to pair the specialist work with a renewed mentor recruitment push. Vann said the district will take mentor recruitment into the community rather than waiting at the schools: "We're gonna start again with the 2 42 group...We have a plan to reach out to the Kiwanis as well," he said, noting the goal of securing five to 10 mentors from each partner group.

Principals and other cabinet members described layered supports already in place — a restorative center at Butler Avenue, CPI (Crisis Prevention Intervention) training for select staff, telemedicine through East Carolina for some students, and a variety of site-level interventions. Board members asked about parent involvement; Vann said the district meets with parents to discuss behaviors and that parent involvement in the new program remains a recommendation to develop.

Administrators stressed the proposal is still being refined — location, exact student counts and a launch date were not finalized. Several board members and staff urged that placements identify root causes and pair short-term classroom time with therapeutic or restorative interventions before students return to general education.

The board did not take a formal vote on the proposal during the March 26 meeting; staff were asked to continue planning and to report back with more details.