Staff proposes adding restorative practices to student conduct policy; 30-day public comment to follow

Grace Wilson, the district’s senior legislative and policy staff, told the board that staff had initially proposed drafting a separate restorative practices policy but concluded it would be clearer to incorporate restorative practices into the existing student conduct policy (Policy JCC). The update would change the policy title and position to reflect restorative practices and make guidance on restorative approaches available where families and staff look for discipline information.

Wilson thanked Kathy Rockefeller, the district’s Senior Specialist for School Climate, for her work on the revision and said the policy will be posted for a 30-day public comment period. Board members thanked staff for the presentation and said they appreciated the work that had been done; no vote was taken at this meeting because the item was presented on first reading.

Why it matters: incorporating restorative practices into the student conduct policy would place district guidance on nonpunitive discipline approaches alongside existing discipline procedures, potentially affecting how schools address misconduct and support student behavior.

Grace Wilson summarized the staff recommendation: “Staff initially came in requesting a new restorative practices policy be developed; however, in further discussions… staff has decided to recommend that it would be more appropriate to incorporate restorative practices into your existing student conduct policy.”

Next steps: the draft policy will be posted for a 30-day public comment period before being returned to the board for further consideration.