Board reviews bullying-prevention options and approves three-year health-education contract

Lee Miller presented four bullying-prevention options and summarized their scope, training requirements and costs.

Miller described the options as: Second Step (existing modules paid through 2025–26 and available as a noncomprehensive module), OAS (a comprehensive program Miller said had an initial training cost of about $110,000 and an annual per-school fee of $550 after startup), Kaiva/Kaiba (a Finnish-based program Miller said returned an annual cost after currency conversion in the neighborhood of $95,000 and noted concerns about limited U.S. presence), and Rachel's Challenge (which Miller said costs about $5 per student and offers sponsorships and grants).

Board members asked whether the district could pilot a program or require demonstrations; Miller said vendors would present but generally would not provide copyrighted curriculum pages. Members also discussed parent permission for student surveys and the district’s ability to measure bullying data once administrative classifications in Infinite Campus are cleaned up.

Separately, the board approved a three-year contract with the Catawba County Council on Adolescents to provide puberty and reproductive-health education for grades 6–9. Miller said the program aligns with state health standards and costs $37,050 per year, to come from the curriculum instruction budget; participation requires signed parental permission. The board approved that contract unanimously.

Miller and board members agreed to continue studying options, consider pilot approaches and weigh costs and training requirements before recommending a district-wide change.