District discipline report shows small uptick in in-school suspensions; mentorship pilot headed to Jonesboro Middle

Dr. Melvin Blocker and a data presenter reviewed discipline trends and next steps during the board meeting.

They reported a small increase in in-school suspensions — from 5,141 to 5,335 when comparing fiscal 2024 to 2025 — and noted modest changes across the district’s five tracked major infractions (weapons, fighting, bullying, drugs, gangs). Presenters said bullying and gang activity declined in the two-month August–September comparison but weapons, fighting and drugs rose slightly; the presenters clarified that the weapons incidents involved knives and other hazardous objects rather than firearms.

Blocker said about 95% of scholars have zero referrals and that roughly 5% generate discipline incidents requiring intensified supports. The behavior-intervention team includes 20 specialists who generally cover about four schools each; a few specialists cover two larger high schools.

The board pressed for concrete metrics to connect disciplinary supports to academic outcomes. Blocker said behavior specialists deliver instruction through ‘‘connection’’ classes and electives and that staff would correlate the subset of students with referrals to academic proficiency data and return with that analysis.

As a preventive measure, the district will pilot the Level Up mentorship program at Jonesboro Middle — a Big Brothers Big Sisters model targeting incoming sixth graders to reduce the risk of later placements in alternative programs. Blocker explained the rationale: pilot in a school where early intervention can prevent escalation rather than in an alternative school where students have already made ‘‘bad choices.’’