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District officials describe rise in reports, outline MTSS updates and restorative steps after bias incidents
Summary
Lake Oswego principals and administrators told the school board the district has seen increases in reported bias incidents, described investigative and restorative processes and outlined next-year updates including an MTSS behavior guide, a citizenship acknowledgment for families and a digital behavior acknowledgement for secondary students.
District principals and administrators told the Lake Oswego School District board that reporting of bias incidents and other student conduct matters has increased, and outlined how schools investigate, respond and plan to reduce repeat behavior.
Principals described a multi-step investigative process that begins with listening to the reporting student, asking follow-up questions and interviewing other students and staff. "We take every report we get from students very seriously because we never know where something might lead us and so we always follow-up on every report we get from a student and we treat it as a real thing," said Curt Schultz, principal at Lake Oswego Middle School. Schultz said the middle-school team uses counselors, deans and administrators to assemble facts and to develop both disciplinary and learning responses.
The district presented data showing an increase in submissions to SafeOregon and to an internal bias-incident form; administrators said some of the rise reflects greater awareness and reporting rather than only an increase in incidents. School leaders described confirmed bias incidents that led to restorative circles and individualized educational work during in-school suspensions. "If a student...uses the n word...we have that student do education around the harm that that word causes and the history of that," Supt. Sheehy said of the district's practice in which educational modules and restorative conversations are assigned during suspensions.
Next steps for 2025–26: district leaders said they will publish an updated MTSS (Multi-Tiered System of Supports) behavior guide that defines levels of behavior, interventions and disciplinary procedures; distribute a one-page digital behavior expectations acknowledgment for secondary students (presented in Synergy before schedule sign-in); and consider a paper signature for elementary families to confirm receipt of a citizenship/behavior summary. Administrators said schools will continue to train staff on Title IX and bias reporting and to use advisory and community circles to address incidents when identification of an individual perpetrator is not possible.
Board members asked for clearer communications to families about consequences and about follow-up steps; administrators said they will make educational materials and the steps taken during any suspension available to families so parents can reinforce consequences and learning at home.
