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Board seeks clarification on in‑school suspension program that ties parental participation to reduced discipline time
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Summary
Board members raised fairness concerns about a program in which parent participation in intervention sessions can reduce a student’s suspension time; staff said schools may implement different models and will provide details next week.
Board members pressed district staff on the scope and implementation of a program that uses parent participation in intervention sessions as a condition to reduce suspension time for students.
Dr. Smith, speaking for student support programs, described how some schools have used parent participation sessions in lieu of out‑of‑school suspension so that, when a parent attends a session, their child can reduce time away from classroom instruction. “If a parent comes and participates in a session, then they can reduce that time and really just earn time back in the classroom,” Dr. Smith said. The presentation materials for the contract showed services described as in‑school suspension (ISS) at some schools and included multiple contract lines with different session counts.
Board members, including Miss McCray and others, expressed concern that the approach could produce unequal treatment: students whose parents can attend sessions may receive lighter discipline than those whose parents cannot. Questions also focused on invoicing and whether the district budgets for a fixed number of sessions per week even if sessions are not used; staff said schools typically plan sessions and do not pay for sessions that are not delivered, but agreed to provide a clearer explanation and data on parent participation and program effectiveness.
Why this matters: discipline practices that condition consequences on parental attendance can raise equity and access concerns if families with limited time or resources cannot participate. The board requested detail on how the program is implemented across schools, whether ISS is being replaced or supplemented, parental participation rates, and whether the model has affected repeat behavior.
Staff said they would return with additional information next week documenting how schools operate the program, participation rates, and legal considerations used by other districts.
