Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Student Safety Hib topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
South River presents Period 1 student-safety data; trainings and mental-health supports emphasized
Summary
District staff reported HIB counts by school for Sept. 1–Dec. 31, 2024, and described expanded mental‑health and restorative supports including clinicians, Care Solace access, and a therapy-dog program.
Matthew Crouch presented the South River Public School District's student safety data report for Period 1, covering Sept. 1–Dec. 31, 2024, and told the school board on June 16 that the district logged dozens of trainings and programs while confirmed tips remained low relative to investigations.
Crouch said the district conducted 19 HIB (harassment, intimidation and bullying) trainings and 31 districtwide programs during the reporting window. He gave a school-by-school breakdown: the Early Learning Center reported no HIBs in its first year of reporting; the Primary School reported 1 HIB; the elementary school reported 9 HIBs (an increase from the prior reporting period) plus 6 other incidents; the middle school reported 8 HIBs; and the high school reported 3 HIBs in this period.
The presentation emphasized preventive and supportive approaches. Crouch described curriculum and program changes for younger students, including adoption of Tools of the Mind for early social-emotional learning and a shift from the Masonic INRS model to a Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS). He said the district uses a shared student-assistance counselor who splits time between the high school and middle school.
Crouch also listed outside partners and services the district uses: Effective School Systems (a full-time clinician at the high school and a part-time restorative clinician), a Rutgers Behavioral Health clinician housed at the middle school, and Care Solace, an access service the district uses to help families find mental-health providers matched to insurance and financial needs. He noted a South River therapy-dog program and ongoing culture-and-climate initiatives such as attendance outreach and positive postcards to students.
“Confirmed tips are relatively low compared to investigations,” Crouch said, summarizing the data while noting the district’s emphasis on proactive mental-health supports and restorative practices over punitive discipline.
Superintendent Dr. Zurcher introduced the presentation and earlier told the board the district awarded $72,985 in scholarships on June 3 and has posted a new parent resource guide and a menu of summer programs (K–12) on the district website. Dr. Zurcher said facilities work planned for the summer includes a new outdoor classroom at the Primary School, a press box at Denny Stadium, a roofing project at the Primary School and new HVAC units for multiple schools; she said many projects are grant-funded.
The report to the board did not propose new punitive policies; instead, presenters described staffing and programming intended to reduce incidents and support students. Board members did not take a separate formal vote on the data report; the presentation was incorporated under the meeting’s consent items.
