Montgomery County schools report fewer suspensions after restorative justice steps; leaders say disproportionality and implementation gaps remain

Principals and Montgomery County Public Schools officials reported progress on restorative justice (RJ) during a Jan. 16 county session, citing lower suspensions and lower recidivism where specialized coordinators and school coaches have supported implementation — but they also warned that RJ alone will not erase discipline disproportionality without clearer anti‑bias work and stronger, systemwide accountability.

Shauna Kaye Jornby, MCPS director of student engagement and behavioral health, introduced school leaders who described school‑level RJ work and results. April Longest, principal of Farmland Elementary School, said Farmland (about 860 students, including more than 140 multilingual learners) held three grade‑level town halls and classroom lessons focused on identity, hateful and harmful words, use of the code of conduct and restorative practices. Longest said students reported learning to "be inclusive and kind" and the school engaged parents and PTA members in reviewing the materials.

At Julius West Middle School, Principal Craig Staten described a multi‑year rollout that included hiring a restorative justice coordinator and prioritizing circles and dialogue over suspension. Staten said the school moved from more than 100 suspensions immediately after the pandemic to 15 current suspensions, and that circles resolved roughly half of referred incidents and…