Restorative justice credited with lowering suspensions at some Montgomery County schools; officials caution it’s one tool among many

Shauna Kaye Jornby, director of student engagement and behavioral health for Montgomery County Public Schools, briefed the Education and Culture Committee on Jan. 30 about district progress implementing restorative justice (RJ) practices since the committee’s November update.

Why it matters: MCPS officials said RJ strategies — circles, reintegration practices and school‑led dialogues — have helped some schools reduce suspensions, return students to class more quickly and lower recidivism, but that RJ alone has not closed discipline disproportionality across racial and special‑education groups.

Principal April Longest of Farmland Elementary described a proactive approach at her school of more than 860 students. "Creating a strong sense of belonging and inclusion is at the heart of everything we do at Farmland," Longest said, summarizing a series of three town‑hall lessons for grades 3–5 that addressed identity, hateful and harmful words, and the application of the code of conduct with restorative practice. Longest said staff surveyed…