Kyrene presents progressive, data-driven approach to student discipline at study session

At a May 13 study session, Kyrene Elementary District staff presented the district’s approach to student discipline, describing a progressive, student-centered framework that combines board policy, statutory requirements and school-level professional judgment. Dr. Garth Kupp opened the presentation and said the purpose was “to provide an overview of Kyrene's approach to student discipline, what guides our practices, and how we ensure consistent practices across all of our schools.”

The presenters told the governing board the district uses governing board policy 5-306 and 5-306a and applicable state law as the legal baseline for responses such as suspension and due-process steps. Kupp said the framework is not the full picture, adding: “At our core, we are in the business of educating children between the ages of 5 and 13, and our first responsibility is to teach.”

Why it matters: the presentation framed discipline as part of instruction and student support, not only as punitive action. That framing affects when and how staff use in-school supports, alternatives to suspension and the district’s reporting and training priorities.

What the district told the board - Policy and handbook: Kupp pointed trustees to the family handbook discipline matrix, which lists behavioral violations and a range of possible consequences organized by severity; the matrix is intended to make…