District reports sharp decline in seclusion and restraint incidents in 2024; limits apply to IEP students

Gina Hagan, director of student services, presented the district's annual seclusion and restraint report and said the numbers continue to decline. Hagan told the board that physical restraint and seclusion are emergency interventions used only when a student's behavior presents "a clear present and imminent risk to the physical safety of the student or others," and that the interventions must be the least-restrictive feasible option. She said the district uses Crisis Prevention Institute (CPI) training for staff who perform restraints and that staff debriefing and documentation timelines are required by law. According to the report presented to the board, there were 15 total incidents in 2024 involving eight students across four-year levels, and there were no incidents involving students without individualized education programs (IEPs). Hagan said the district trains multiple staff members per building and that when a student with an IEP has two incidents in a year, the IEP team must reconvene. Hagan also said two incidents involved police officers; she clarified those were two separate students. The district will include police-contact reporting in future years as required by statute. Board members asked clarifying questions about definitions and examples of restraint and seclusion; Hagan said common instances can include two-staff maneuvers to guide a student away from a danger such as an exterior door. She credited training and verbal de-escalation work for the reduction in incidents and noted the district continues to see a higher proportion of students on the autism spectrum at Cooper Middle School. What the law requires: Hagan told the board it must receive the annual report by Oct. 1 and that the district must send data to the Department of Public Instruction by Dec. 1. Next steps: the district will continue CPI training, track debrief and IEP-triggered meetings, and include police-contact data in future reports to the DPI.