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Stoughton Area School District board approves updated student-discipline policies, directs further alignment work
Summary
The Stoughton Area School District Board of Education voted to approve updated student-discipline policies and asked the climate and culture work group to continue aligning behavior rules with supportive and restorative practices.
The Stoughton Area School District Board of Education voted to approve a set of updated district policies on student behavior and discipline after discussion about differences in language across individual policies and a plan to continue aligning practices.
Board members approved the policy updates in a roll-call vote after the board’s discussion and work-group review. The board directed the climate and culture work group to continue exploring how to align student-behavior policies with supportive and restorative practices and to bring refinements back to the board for future consideration.
Board members and staff focused discussion on two policy references raised during the meeting, identified in the agenda as “policy 55 12” and “policy 55 30.” One board member and several work-group participants said the tobacco/nicotine policy reads more explicitly in favor of supportive interventions than the intoxicants/drugs policy; members asked whether similar supportive language could be added to the intoxicants policy.
District staff member Dan responded that he had not yet received a response from Neola, the policy services provider, on that specific question. "I hadn't heard back from Neola yet as far as an answer to that question specific to other drugs and intoxicants," Dan said, adding that the district is looking to synchronize behavior-policy language across documents and that specifics are recorded in the student handbook.
Board members discussed incorporating restorative or supportive practices as part of the district’s approach. A board member noted appreciation for language discouraging exclusionary discipline in the updated text and asked how supportive interventions are currently provided; staff said responses vary by case and can include counseling, school social work, school psychologists, and referrals to community partners such as the Stilton Wellness Coalition and START for family-level supports.
The motion to approve the policy updates was moved and seconded; the second was identified in the meeting as Jim Moser. The district clerk conducted a roll-call vote; the board recorded unanimous approval.
Votes at a glance - Motion: "Approval of the policy updates presented." Mover: not specified in the record. Second: Jim Moser. Outcome: approved (roll-call). Yes: Tim Buban; Mia Coyle; Jim Moser; Dawn Garcia; Zach Massey Myers; Lisa Pugh; Allison Sorg; Sharon Mylan Bartlett; [one additional yes recorded in roll call]. Yes tally: 9. No: 0. Abstain: 0.
The board asked the climate and culture work group to continue review and alignment work and invited non–work-group board members to participate in that committee’s meetings. The minutes will list policy numbers and names for public reference, per a board request during the meeting.
The board moved on to recap action items and future meeting dates after approving the policies. Upcoming regular board meetings were listed on the agenda for Sept. 15 and Oct. 6; the board then moved to a closed session.
Ending The board approved the policy updates as an interim step and tasked the climate and culture work group with follow-up work to bring the district’s behavior policies into closer alignment with the district’s stated supportive and restorative approach. The board requested that minutes include policy numbers and names for public clarity.
