Board adopts student safety data report after presentation on discipline, HIB and internet safety

The Franklin Township Board of Education on June 18 adopted its student safety data report for Period 1 (the start of the school year through Dec. 31) after a presentation by Mr. Wilson, who presented district discipline statistics and safety programs.

Mr. Wilson told the board the district uses the Student Safety Data System (SSDS) to review discipline across elementary, middle and high schools and said, “students in our schools are meeting the behavioral expectations that help enhance their academic achievement.” He said the high school had made “significant gains” in reducing referrals compared with the prior year, while middle schools remained an area of concern.

The report presented counts and top categories of office discipline referrals by level. At the elementary level Mr. Wilson said the most common categories were physical aggression, disruption and noncompliance; middle school top categories were physical aggression, disruption and noncompliance; and high school top issues included cutting class and, compared with last year, a marked decrease in several referral categories. He reported that the number of harassment, intimidation and bullying (HIB) investigations increased, and that of the investigations districtwide 18 were confirmed during the period covered.

Wilson outlined prevention and response measures the district uses, including positive behavioral interventions and supports (PBIS), restorative practices, mentoring programs, partnerships such as the municipal alliance and the youth center, the OTE mentoring program, “Cooking with Cops,” and counseling and SEL services. He also introduced the Help Me app — made available through a partnership with the New Jersey Department of Education and the Camden County Educational Services Commission — saying the app provides 24/7 anonymous connections to counselors and resources for students and families.

On internet safety, the presentation referenced the Children’s Internet Protection Act requirements and described district measures: filtered student email accounts, a monitoring system called LineWise that alerts staff to attempts to access inappropriate material or to self-harm signals, and age-appropriate internet safety instruction for grades 3–12. Wilson said high-priority alerts (for example, indicators of suicide ideation) are acted on immediately.

Board members pressed for specifics about the middle school numbers and the nature of suspensions. Lori asked whether most suspensions were in-school or out-of-school; Mr. Wilson replied “unfortunately a majority of them are out of school suspensions,” and said the district is evaluating alternatives because missed instructional time is a concern. When asked whether more resources were being added to middle schools, Wilson said the district is reassigning and repurposing existing resources and increasing mentoring and assemblies designed to promote positive school experiences.

The board opened a public hearing on the student safety data report; no members of the public spoke. Dr. Hopkins moved to adopt the report; Bill seconded. The motion passed on a roll call vote with all board members voting yes.

The superintendent’s office noted second-semester data must be certified by the state and will be available in October for comparison with Period 1.

Why it matters: The report documents disciplinary trends, confirmed bullying cases and the interventions the district is using. Board members said the data are driving focused actions at the middle-school level and informed decisions about mentoring and resource allocation.