Rochester School Board members on Jan. 9 heard a midyear report on school climate, discipline and attendance that district leaders said shows fewer out‑of‑school suspensions, improved attendance and expanding preventive efforts such as MTSS, PBIS and undercover anti‑bullying teams.

The report, led by Jackie Shirey, the district’s director of positive youth development, compared fall 2024 discipline and attendance data with the same period a year earlier and outlined next steps including a discipline alignment team, additional restorative practices and a spring Panorama student survey to capture student voice.

Shirey said the district’s out‑of‑school suspension (OSS) numbers declined compared with last year and that administrators are using graduated sanctions — including in‑school suspension (ISS), detentions and restorative meetings — to keep students in class when appropriate. “We wanna hold our students accountable so that we can also prepare them to be lifelong citizens, making responsible choices in our community,” Shirey said. She added that ISS is typically “a day that’s filled with doing coursework, either stuff that’s assigned by teachers or catching up on outstanding work,” and usually includes a restorative conversation with a counselor or social worker.

Why it matters: board members framed the data as central to classroom learning and staff capacity. Several members requested raw data, clarifications about how graduated sanctions are applied, and committee review focused on middle‑school trends.

Key findings and programs
- Discipline: The district reported declines in OSS and office discipline referrals (ODRs) compared with the same September–December period last year. Administrators credited stronger MTSS teams, more consistent application of graduated sanctions and expanded restorative practices.
- In‑school suspension: Shirey described ISS as supervised time away from a student’s regular classroom to complete coursework, meet with counselors or do restorative work. She said ISS can be one student or several at once and requires staffing to supervise and support students.
- Bullying: Shirey noted results from the Youth Risk Behavior Survey showing almost 30% of students reported being bullied on school property when the survey was taken; Spalding High School had a 74% student completion rate for the survey. The district has added “Undercover Anti‑Bullying Teams” (UABT) at elementary schools and expanded student voice and preventive events.
- Student engagement and attendance: The district is trending upward in attendance and downward in the number of students missing 10 or more days. Officials cited a new truancy officer and stronger school‑family outreach.
- Building‑level strategies: Spalding High School principals described a three‑part approach — student voice councils, care teams to respond when students have mental‑health crises, and expanded restorative practices — that they said helped reduce suspensions. Rochester Middle School leaders credited morning advisory, school recognitions and new counseling staff for progress.

Board response and follow up
Board members praised some of the steps but pressed for more detail. Member Stokes asked that the full, raw youth‑survey data and definitions of terms such as “restorative practices” and “graduated sanctions” be sent to the Teaching, Learning and Student Supports (TLSS) committee for further review; the chair confirmed TLSS will take the item up. Member Keens asked for a clearer, school‑by‑school description of how ISS days are staffed and run; Shirey said ISS is supervised by an administrator, counselor or designated adult and can vary by school.

Middle school attention: Several board members, including Member White and Member Cusumano, highlighted that the middle school’s discipline numbers remain higher than elementary and high school levels and asked staff to bring comparative data and examples of interventions to the committee level so the board can consider targeted supports.

On next steps, Shirey said the district will: continue the discipline alignment team to increase consistency across schools; roll out the Panorama spring survey to gather deeper student voice; and refine a discipline guide for administrators that explains factors to consider when applying progressive sanctions. Superintendent Azerlosa said improvements have also reduced staff absences and helped rebuild substitute coverage, and thanked staff and families for partnership.

Public comment and context
Public comment earlier in the meeting included concerns about personnel practices and district outcomes, but no one addressed the climate presentation directly during the public comment period. The board will expect more detailed, school‑level data at upcoming committee meetings, and members specifically asked staff to bring raw survey data, historical suspension counts and staffing details for ISS so committees can examine policy changes or resource requests.

Ending
Board members agreed to follow up in committee on the items raised and to return to the full board with any recommended policy or staffing changes after that review.