District reports progress under Department of Justice agreement; Van Buren school highlights reduced referrals

District executive director Ryals Parker told the board the district is in year three of a Department of Justice consent agreement and described data-driven changes districtwide intended to reduce suspensions, address disproportionality, and improve support for students with complex behavior needs.

Parker said the district has no seclusion as defined by the DOJ and that staff have revised restraint definitions, mandatory reporting and debrief practices. He said improved, consistent training for building safety teams and consolidated trainers have increased reporting accuracy; the result is that reported restraints rose earlier in the school year but have been declining month to month as teams implement recommended changes. "We reduced suspensions by half so far this year compared to the same time period last year," Parker said, adding that…