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District reports SSDS incidents for period 1; most investigations not founded, officials say
Summary
Montgomery Township School District presented its Student Safety Data System report for period 1 (Sept.–Dec. 2024) on March 18, listing incident counts at each school and reporting that most HIB investigations in that period were not founded.
Superintendent Mary McLaughlin and counseling staff presented the district’s Student Safety Data System (SSDS) report for report period 1 (September–December 2024) during the March 18 board meeting, and staff also summarized harassment, intimidation and bullying (HIB) investigations, trainings and programs.
The SSDS summary the district provided showed the following reported incidents in period 1: Montgomery High School — 19 total incidents (majority listed as HIB alleged, with some fighting and substances); Upper Middle School — 23 incidents (most categorized as HIB alleged and physical altercations); Lower Middle School — 27 incidents (majority HIB alleged); Village Elementary School — 8 incidents (all listed as HIB alleged); Orchard Hill Elementary School — 2 incidents (both HIB alleged). The superintendent said those totals complete the period‑1 filing.
District staff then gave an overview of investigations for period 1. Orchard Hill had five investigations; the district said none were founded. The district noted a policy change in November that added a “preliminary determination” column to investigation records; staff said this was used when reported incidents did not meet threshold criteria. Lower Middle School recorded 21 reported incidents with one founded investigation and two rejected investigations, the district said.
Corey Delgado (identified earlier in the meeting as Director of School Counseling and Student Wellness) presented HIB-related trainings and recognized guidance counselors as specialists who work on these sensitive issues. Delgado emphasized mandatory reporting and the district’s obligation to submit SSDS data to the New Jersey Department of Education.
Board members and administrators discussed programs the district delivers to students for prevention and intervention, and Delgado noted staff-provided training earlier in the year about nuances of the law. The district said it will continue to report investigation results and provide program and training updates to the board.
No specific disciplinary details for individual cases were disclosed at the public meeting, consistent with student-privacy and confidentiality rules.
