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Pequannock officials report declines in confirmed HIB cases and other incidents in six‑month report
Summary
At the June 23 board meeting the district’s anti‑bullying coordinator presented the required six‑month report (July–Dec) showing declines in confirmed harassment/intimidation/bullying cases, violence and removals compared with prior periods; staff credited trainings, security measures and lessons in classrooms
The Pequannock Township School District’s anti‑bullying coordinator presented the district’s six‑month incident report at the June 23 Board of Education meeting and reported declines in several categories compared with the same period the prior year.
Doctor O'Keefe, the district’s anti‑bullying coordinator, said the report covered period 1 (July 1–Dec. 31) and showed lower totals for confirmed harassment/intimidation/bullying (HIB) incidents, fewer violence incidents and fewer suspensions and removals than the same period the previous year. “These are our totals…for a six months being reported,” Doctor O'Keefe said while walking the board through the slide set.
Why it matters: The NJ Administrative Code requires districts to report incidents of violence, weapons, vandalism, substance abuse and HIB to the board every six months; the report is the district’s statutory disclosure of safety indicators and of programs and trainings delivered to students and staff.
Key takeaways from the presentation - Confirmed HIB incidents and HIB investigations were down from the prior comparable reporting period; Doctor O'Keefe said confirmed HIB reports decreased from five in the prior period to fewer in this reporting period. - Violence reports were reported as zero for the period; removals (suspensions/expulsions) fell to eight from 13 in the prior comparable period. - Vandalism and weapons incidents were reported as zero for the period covered. - Security practices and technology (including SmartPass and on‑duty security staff) were credited with helping reduce substance‑use and vandalism incidents at the high school, Doctor O'Keefe said.
Doctor O'Keefe noted some important caveats: the dataset presented covers the older six‑month window (July–Dec.) and does not include the most recent six months; some conflict shifts to phones and social media and may not be captured in HIB reporting if incidents are not reported to school officials.
Board members asked whether the downward trend continued into the next six‑month report; Doctor O'Keefe said preliminary checks on period 2 showed a similar pattern but cautioned that official reporting deadlines and entry timelines affect what is included.
The board did not take additional formal action on the report at the meeting; the presentation served as the required statutory update.
