Galloway schools report 11 confirmed HIB cases, district credits trainings for drop in incidents

Galloway Township Public School District officials presented the district's Student Safety Data System (SSDS) report for report period 1 (Sept. 2024'Dec. 2024), saying the schools recorded 11 confirmed harassment, intimidation and bullying (HIB) cases and a total of 45 HIB-related investigations of varying scope.

Director of Student Services Suzanne Burgess, who delivered the report, said the summary covered districtwide incident counts required under the state's anti-bullying reporting process and explained how local investigations were categorized. "Everything that you see listed on this slide is information that we are required to report, as a result of the anti bullying law," Burgess said.

Burgess gave the following counts for the reporting period: nine incidents of violence, one incident of vandalism, two substance offenses and zero weapons offenses. For HIB-specific reporting she said there were 11 confirmed HIB investigations, 18 HIB allegations that did not meet the statutory HIB threshold after full investigation, and 16 preliminary determinations that did not proceed to a full HIB investigation. Burgess said each of those 45 reports was handled under district policy and the student code of conduct.

Nut graf: The presentation was informational but drew attention because Burgess attributed a measurable drop in HIB incidents to the district's prevention work: she reported 107 trainings and 155 prevention programs during the four-month window and told the board the trend continued into the subsequent reporting period.

Burgess described how the district documents HIB complaints: each alleged incident began with a HIB 338 form submitted by parents, staff or community members, followed by a school-level preliminary review and, if warranted, a full investigation overseen by an assigned anti-bullying specialist. "We still followed the code of conduct. We still provided supports," she said, describing that supports and disciplinary responses were applied even when an allegation did not meet the formal HIB standard.

She also presented the official state-calculated HIB scores for the 2023'2024 school year. The district's average score, produced from the sum of each building's self-assessment subtotals (the local maximum is 78), was 75 for 2023'2024, the same score reported the previous year, Burgess said.

Burgess listed who served as anti-bullying specialists during the period (primarily school counselors with assistant principal support), and noted one listed investigator, Mr. Lupo at Roland Rogers, is no longer employed by the district; she said personnel listings will change in the next report period.

The board later took a formal vote to affirm HIB determinations. President Korman called for the roll call on item 10.1 (affirmation of HIB determinations) and each named board member voted yes: Mrs. Chester, Dr. Permenter, Ms. Loria, Mrs. Avery, Mr. Days, Mr. Gentile, Mrs. Hermonow, Vice President Bashara Blouse and President Korman.

Ending: Burgess's presentation concluded with the board thanking her; she was also acknowledged publicly as retiring and the superintendent and board offered thanks for her work in student services.