Erie City SD reports modest enrollment gain, flags rise in suspensions and plans MTSS strengthening
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Summary
Assistant Superintendent Neil Brockman told the board enrollment is up by 120 students and 13 of 16 buildings have average daily attendance above 90%, but he warned of a recent rise in suspensions and said the district will strengthen MTSS and classroom behavior supports.
Assistant Superintendent Neil Brockman reported that Erie City School District’s enrollment is up by 120 students compared with the same point last year and that 13 of the district’s 16 school buildings currently show average daily attendance greater than 90%.
Brockman, speaking at the committee-of-the-whole meeting, said the district plans to strengthen its multi-tiered systems of support (MTSS) for both academic and non-academic needs. “MTSS stands for multi tiered systems of support,” he said, explaining the model’s core tiers: roughly 80% of students should be supported by universal practices, about 15% may need small-group interventions, and about 5% may require intensive one-on-one support.
He flagged discipline as an area of concern. Reviewing early-year discipline data, Brockman said the district has seen “a staggering trend of an increase in the number of total events as well as an increase in the number of students being suspended from school on a week-by-week basis,” and that some weeks showed double-digit out‑of‑school suspension counts at individual schools. He said suspensions in the district can range from one to 10 days, depending on the incident.
The superintendent’s office signaled several steps to address those trends: increased leadership visibility through cabinet walks and school visits, in‑person leadership network training for principals and assistant principals, and use of MTSS to align academic and behavioral supports. Brockman said the aim is to ensure universal classroom systems are strengthened so students remain in class and learning rather than removed for disciplinary reasons.
Brockman also used the update to spotlight staff: he thanked school psychologists during National School Psychologist Week and announced next week’s Bravo Awards to honor staff who have "gone above and beyond."
Next steps: administration said it will continue data review and monitor discipline trends while implementing MTSS improvements; further details are expected in upcoming presentations to the board.
