Discipline data show mixed trends; district pilots anonymous reporting app StopIt in four schools
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Summary
The district reported a countywide increase in higher-level (level 3–4) discipline incidents overall but declines in certain categories such as physical fights; staff also described a StopIt app pilot in four schools for anonymous reporting of bullying, harassment and threats.
District leaders presented semester discipline data showing a mixed picture: an overall increase in level 3–4 incidents countywide alongside declines in specific categories such as physical fights and certain misconduct classifications.
Why it matters: administrators said the mixed results reflect both increased fidelity in coding incidents under a countywide discipline matrix and school-level changes in enforcement. They urged the board to interpret short-term increases in some measures as steps toward consistent enforcement rather than only as deterioration.
Administrators explained that some schools recorded higher counts after a new principal or leadership team began enforcing the county discipline matrix more strictly; they said the increase can reflect better recording and adherence, not only worsening behavior. The presentation included OSS/ISS breakdowns by school and the distinction between occurrences and unique students affected.
StopIt pilot: the district introduced a pilot of the StopIt anonymous-reporting app in four schools — Spring Mills Middle, Mountain Ridge Intermediate, Jaredstown Elementary and Inland Primary — funded via a recent grant for a trial. StopIt allows students, staff or community members to submit anonymous reports (with optional photo or screenshot evidence) to designated school administrators and to the district monitoring team; the vendor provides two-way anonymous messaging when appropriate.
Board members raised questions about false reports and escalation protocols; administrators said the pilot includes monitoring and follow-up by principals and district leaders and that their experience elsewhere showed initial upticks in reports that later become credible and actionable leads.
Ending: administrators said the discipline committee will continue reviewing data and restorative/preventative measures and will return with recommendations for consistent implementation and communication to parents and staff.
