Lorain City schools outline tiered behavior plan after parents and teachers cite safety concerns

The Lorain City School District board on March 18 heard parents, union leaders and administrators describe classroom safety problems and asked the district to accelerate implementation of a multi-tiered system of behavioral supports.

Parent Amber Williams told the board she had learned from a neighbor, not school officials, that her child had been chased in a classroom with scissors. "We were not made aware of the situation that happened with her being chased around the classroom with a pair of scissors," Williams said during public comment. She later spoke directly with the principal, she said, but left the meeting uncertain that steps would be taken to keep students safe.

Superintendent Dr. Graham emphasized that the district is seeking solutions rather than blame. "We're not looking to blame teachers, principals, children, families," he said during the work session, adding that the district will adjust supports based on what the data and staff report. The session featured presentations on Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS), use of the Panorama data platform, kindergarten re‑design based on Reggio Emilia practices, and proposed training for intervention specialists and other staff.

Why it matters: Teachers and parents told the board they want faster, clearer responses when a student’s behavior puts others at risk. District leaders acknowledged system gaps—folders, referrals and communications that were not reaching teachers or families—and committed to concrete next steps to improve identification, intervention and parent communication.

What the district described and the board directed - Tiered response gaps: District staff said the district’s tier 2 process (supports for students who need more than universal classroom strategies) was inconsistently applied across schools. As an immediate step, the district said it will retrain teams on tier 2 procedures and the Panorama tracking system by spring break so schools can identify and track students receiving intensified support. - Early childhood/kindergarten redesign: A kindergarten implementation team will start a book study and schedule on‑site visits with Kent State to adapt Reggio Emilia, student‑centered classroom design and movement‑based instruction that the district says produced improvements in preschool classrooms. The district plans coaching and year‑two site visits for teachers and principals. - Intervention specialists and special education practice: The district is designing a sustained training series for intervention specialists that blends academic and social‑emotional strategies, and proposes shifting some IEP responsibilities so special education supervisors can spend more time coaching staff rather than attending every meeting. - Immediate supports and safety: Administrators described what happens when a behavior escalates: staff call for building help (principal, counselor, administrative assistant), adults remove or isolate a student when necessary to protect others, and teachers document incidents afterward. District leaders said some counseling or external mental‑health referrals can be delayed by limited provider capacity or by the need for parental consent, and that in‑building supports (counselors, wellness and behavior coaches, sensory/regulation rooms) are being used while longer interventions are arranged. - Communication and training: The district is creating a plain‑language guide to district terms and procedures for parents and staff, and testing ClassDojo as a possible real‑time parent notification platform. Administrators said some teachers did not previously know the supports (behavior coaches, wellness coaches) available in their buildings and pledged to clarify roles and referral routes.

Voices from the meeting - Amber Williams, parent: "We were not made aware of the situation that happened with her being chased around the classroom with a pair of scissors." - Dr. Shantel Lewis, vice president of the Lorain Administrators Association: urged an "urgency plan" for students with immediate, high needs and called for a task force to address students requiring rapid intervention. - Superintendent Dr. Graham: "We're not looking to blame teachers, principals, children, families. We have an issue that we're trying to solve."

Formal actions and votes Before the work session, the board approved routine operational items 10.01–10.03 on the consent agenda. Superintendent Dr. Graham moved that the board consider items 10.01–10.03 for approval; the motion passed on roll call: Dr. Ballard — yes; Mr. Sturgill — yes; Mr. Ferguson — yes; Mrs. Washington — yes; Mrs. Nazario — yes.

What was not decided The board did not adopt a new policy or reassign students during the meeting. Administrators described planned retraining and pilot steps; several board members and speakers pressed for faster, tangible measures for students and teachers immediately affected by severe behavior. No timeline was set in the meeting for the district to report back on the spring‑break retraining outcomes, though staff said they would return with follow up to the board.

Context and details mentioned in the session The district said many of the supports now in place grew out of federal COVID relief funding and include elementary counselors, assistant principals, two district behavior coaches and wellness coaches. A district presenter said there are three social workers serving multiple buildings and noted capacity limits among external mental‑health providers. Administrators repeatedly referenced Panorama as the district’s data platform for tracking interventions and PBIS for schoolwide behavior structures. District staff said behavior change often takes weeks: "When a kid enters into support... it takes almost 6 to 8 weeks for a child to improve," a behavior coach said.

Next steps and follow‑up District staff committed to: retrain schools on tier 2 procedures and Panorama usage by spring break; begin a kindergarten implementation plan after spring break (book study, Kent State visits, coaching); create a plain‑language parent guide to district supports; and explore ClassDojo for quicker classroom‑to‑home communication. Board members asked administration to compile meeting notes and distribute a top‑level summary to the district and community.

Ending Board members and district leaders said the work session was a start, not a conclusion, and invited continued community engagement. The special meeting adjourned after the board set its next regular meeting for Monday, March 24 at 5 p.m. in the high school boardroom.